Iowa Department of Public Safety issues statement on sports betting investigation

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Public Safety issued a statement today  on the investigation into illegal sports betting by athletes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State. 

The statement comes after a lawsuit by one of the athletes questioned the constitutionality of the use of electronic surveillance to track sports gambling apps on the campuses without a warrant.

The statement says DPS believes the evidence was obtained in a constitutionally permissible manner to conduct the surveillance required by state law. DPS says they conferred with legal counsel to ensure lawful access to and use of the technology. It says two county attorney offices also reviewed all relevant investigative information before making the ultimate decision to file charges in the case.

The statement says the Department traditionally does not comment on active investigations or litigation in an effort to ensure these matters are appropriately addressed in the justice system rather than the media.