Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer called the descriptions of payments that reference sports betting on his Venmo account “inside jokes” and denied ever betting on college football or other sports in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.
“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” Mateer’s statement read. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends. I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter, but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo transactions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling.”
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— John Mateer (@John_Mateer4) August 12, 2025
Screenshots and a video of transactions for a Venmo account in Mateer’s name began spreading on social media Monday night. Two payments from Nov. 20, 2022, were sent to a Richard Roaten and captioned “Sports gambling,” with one referencing the USC-UCLA football game that took place the day prior. The Venmo page went private later on Monday night.
Mateer played with twin brothers and offensive linemen Landon and Luke Roaten at Washington State, and the three were in the same 2022 recruiting class. Landon is a middle name; his first name is Richard. That is also the name of their father, according to a family page.
“OU Athletics provides ongoing education to its student-athletes, coaches, and staff on matters related to sports gambling,” Oklahoma’s athletic department said in a statement. “The department utilizes ProhiBet, which is an industry-standard service offering comprehensive monitoring of sports gambling activities. OU takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situations of concern. OU Athletics is unaware of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending.”
Mateer transferred to Oklahoma this offseason, following Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, and is ranked by The Athletic as the No. 1 impact transfer heading into the 2025 season. The Sooners have high expectations for this season after an ambitious retooling in the wake of a 6-7 record in 2024. Oklahoma hosts Football Championship Subdivision opponent Illinois State in Week 1, then preseason No. 14 Michigan in Week 2.
The expansion of the legalization of sports betting in recent years has created friction with NCAA rules that ban athletes and coaches from betting on sports. More than two dozen athletes at Iowa and Iowa State were ensnared in a 2023 gambling sting from which many lost eligibility, even though many of the criminal charges were later dropped. Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers lost his full eligibility and admitted in a plea agreement that he bet on an Iowa State football game while on the team.
Under president Charlie Baker, the NCAA has slowly pulled back on sports gambling-related discipline for athletes, progressively lessening the penalties depending on the situation. In June, the Division I Council introduced a proposal that allowed college athletes to bet on pro sports where legal, but continued the ban on college sports betting.
— The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman contributed reporting.
(Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
