Iowa kicker Aaron Blom accused of betting on Hawkeyes football game
University of Iowa football player Aaron Blom has been handed criminal charges related to underage sports wagering.
The Johnson County Attorney's Office filed a criminal complaint against Blom, charging the junior kicker with tampering with records related to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s probe into sports gambling.
Blom is charged with hiding his identity by using his mother’s name to set up an account with DraftKings. Court documents confirm his mom knowingly consented to Blom’s use of her name and information. Blom admitted to DCI agents that he placed underage online wagers using his mother’s account.
Blom, 21, was the second-string kicker for the Iowa football team last season. He is a non-scholarship player.
According to the complaint, Blom is accused of making 170 mobile wagers through a DraftKings account "controlled by Aaron Blom" from Jan. 28, 2021, to Feb. 22, 2022, in Johnson County, totaling more than $4,400. Court documents allege Blom placed wagers while underage on an estimated eight University of Iowa sporting events, including a bet on the point total of the 2021 Iowa vs. Iowa State football game.
Blom turned 21, the legal betting age in Iowa, in September 2022.
The Oskaloosa High School graduate allegedly wagered on the annual Cy-Hawk game as a member of the Hawkeyes football team, according to court documents. Blom did not see action in the 2021 game in Ames, which pitted a pair of top-10 programs. The over/under of that Sept. 11, 2021, game was set at 45. The final score was 27-17 in favor of Iowa, putting the total points at 44. Blom allegedly bet the "under."
Iowa State missed a 45-yard field goal attempt with 31 seconds left.
Former University of Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen was also charged with tampering with records, first reported Tuesday.
The tampering with records charge is an aggravated misdemeanor and could carry a maximum sentence of up to one year in county jail or up to two years in prison if convicted. Court documents state that Blom “knowingly and intentionally falsified personal electronic sports wagering records” as a member of the Iowa football team. Under NCAA rules, he would be permanently ineligible if it is determined he placed bets on University of Iowa sporting events.
The affidavit also alleges Blom “routinely and consistently” placed wagers from his personal iPhone, which were also traced back to his University of Iowa residence and in areas of the university “not routinely open to the public,” court documents said.
Blom saw limited action in 2022, missing a game-tying field goal as time expired in the matchup with Iowa State, giving Iowa State the 10-7 victory in Iowa City.
He made one of his three field goal attempts last season, a 46-yarder in the Hawkeyes’ season-opening win over South Dakota State. Blom did not attempt another field goal after the Iowa State loss.
Iowa finished 8-5 last season, punctuated by a 21-0 victory over Kentucky in the Transperfect Music City Bowl on Dec. 31.
Brandon Hurley is editor of the Iowa City Press-Citizen and the Ames Tribune. He can be reached at [email protected].