NCAA President Encouraging States to Ban College Player Prop Bets

The NCAA is officially calling for the end of college player prop bets.

NCAA President Charlie Baker released a statement asking states to ban the controversial bet type. While many states have already done so, many still do not have betting restrictions for college athletics. 

Baker’s call to action is aimed at protecting college athletes. We have seen a sharp increase in college athletes harassed or threatened over sports betting. Angry bettors who lost prop bets have begun blaming the players, attacking them from the crowd or on social media.   

“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes getting harassed,” NCAA President Charlie Baker’s statement read. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats, and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”

Some states have passed laws to make harassment of college players result in stiff punishments, but the issue has persisted. 

The following states currently allow college player prop bets:

• Connecticut (except for in-state teams)

• Illinois (except for in-state teams)

• Indiana (pre-game only)

• Iowa (except for in-state teams)

• Kansas

• Louisiana

• Michigan

• New Jersey (except for in-state teams)

• New Hampshire (except for in-state teams)

• Rhode Island (except for in-state teams)

• Washington, D.C.

• Wyoming

Banning College Player Props Could Curb Potential for Scandal

In addition to protecting college athletes, banning player props could protect them from betting scandals. Unlike team bets, player props are controlled by the player you are betting on. That means players accept money to hit certain prop bets or even wager on themselves. 

We saw a recent example of this in the NBA, where Jontay Porter was accused of leaving a game early to ensure several prop bets were hit. Operators saw a spike in bets on Porter’s props, which sent a red flag.

While regulators and law enforcement have done a good job detecting potential scandals, removing any temptation will eliminate the threat.