Another state could be ready to pull the trigger on a college prop betting ban as the Wyoming Gaming Commission openly discussed the matter at a recent meeting.
Next Domino to Fall?
Some things are in fashion and some are out of vogue. Consider college sports betting props in the latter category as stories of collegiate athletes being harassed after a game have been making the rounds. More to the point, a recent letter to the Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC) by the NCAA revealed that more than 30% of Division I men’s basketball players reported betting-related harassment.
At a recent meeting of the WGC, members were receptive to the implementation of a ban on college betting props in the Cowboy State. “By prohibiting any of the prop bets, I think that’s a step in the direction that we do want to go,” Commissioner Jenni Wildcat said. “We want to protect the integrity of the sports wagering, our patrons, our athletes, and us as a state.”
Preventing Harassment
The NCAA’s Assistant Director of Government Relations, Austin Meo, recounted a discussion with former Wyoming football head coach, Craig Bohl, who told him that one of his players was crying in the locker room after a game because of online harassment he experienced vis a vis player prop betting associated with his performance.
“The term that [Bohl] used repeatedly was that he had deep concerns about the undue stress it was placing on athletes,” Meo said.
States have taken notice and although eliminating any betting category will ultimately decrease the sportsbooks’ bottom line, and by default the state’s tax revenues derived from it, action has been taken. Ohio has banned college player props while Maryland and Vermont have also abided by the NCAA’s request and done the same. North Carolina is considering similar action.
NCAA Speaks Out
The NCAA under President Charlie Baker’s leadership, has put college prop betting in the crosshairs and asked all states to ban the practice. The former Massachusetts governor released a statement earlier in the year that said:
“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 and professional athletes getting harassed. The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college props bets.”
Baker went on to say, “This week we will be contacting officials across the country in states that still allow these bets and ask them to join Ohio, Vermont, Maryland, and many others and remove college prop bets from all betting markets. The NCAA is drawing the line on sports betting to protect student-athletes and to protect the integrity of the game — issues across the country these last several days show there is more work to be done.”
Baker’s plea has been effective in getting some state gaming commissions to abide by his directives even though they are under no obligation to do so. On March 1st, the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) gave sports betting operators in the Buckeye State until March 1st to take college player props off their betting menus.
Other states, like Massachusetts, banned college player props from the start. Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair Cathy Judd-Stein, said, “Prop bets on students is a statutory violation here in Massachusetts. It’s a conversation that’s starting to happen across the nation as to whether it’s appropriate. Massachusetts got this right. I know I’m personally interested in resolving this matter as quickly as possible for the protection of student-athletes.”
