Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is denying he has ever bet on sports after screenshots began circulating online showing he made and received Venmo payments with “sports gambling” listed as the reason for the expense.
Mateer was at Washington State at the time and the Venmo transactions were with a teammate. After a strong season at Washington State last year, Mateer transferred to Oklahoma and will be the Sooners’ starter this year. Another strong season would elevate Mateer’s stock in the 2026 NFL draft.
But involvement in gambling could throw Mateer’s football career into jeopardy, and after the screenshots went viral he claimed the “sports gambling” references in his Venmo payments were jokes.
“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” Mateer wrote on social media. “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 descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling.”
Oklahoma released a statement acknowledging the matter.
“OU takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situation of concern. OU Athletics is unaware of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending,” the statement said.
Between Mateer’s excellent season at Washington State last year and his importance to Oklahoma this year, he was viewed by many as the most significant transfer in all of college football this offseason. Now he’s a significant player for another reason, as the proliferation of sports gambling leads to increased scrutiny on players’ activities.
