Ohio May Soon Ban College Sports Prop Bets

Summary:

• The Ohio Casino Control Commission has been asked to remove prop bets from sportsbooks.
• Threats are being made to athletes in the state due to game outcomes.
• Prop bets would continue to be offered for professional sports.

Ohio sports fans may soon lose one element of betting in the college sector due to student-athlete issues. Late last month, the NCAA sent a letter to the Ohio Casino Control Commission to request that college prop betting be removed from state betting services.

There have been several reports of social media threats to college athletes, and the sports association would like to protect its athletes.

Removing College Prop Bets

News of the request is just now public knowledge, with bettors possibly losing access to college prop bet options. The state could still allow betting on college basketball or football games, such as winners, over/under totals, and point spreads. The change would not affect prop bet options on professional sports games.

Governor Mike DeWine and NCAA President Charlie Baker favor ending the prop bet options for college events. According to DeWine, within the year of sports betting services in the state, bad actors have emerged with unacceptable behavior. Threats have been made to student-athletes in Ohio and across the US.

With an amendment to the rules, the bets will focus on a team effort rather than individual players. DeWine said this would improve the market and protect student-athletes from harm.

Harassed by Sports Bettors

According to Baker, players are being harassed by bettors online, putting their well-being and the integrity of college competition at risk. Individual prop bets are escalating the risk, so it would be best to eliminate the option altogether.

The Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith is also on board with the ban. He supports the governor and NCAA president in their effort to change the rules for sports betting. College athletes should not face threats due to their actions during a sporting event, and banning the bet type is one way to stop such behavior by bettors.

Sports betting is extremely popular in Ohio, although the market is relatively new. The state saw over $7 billion in sports bets during 2023. This resulted in $963 million in revenues. We shall see in the coming weeks if the Commission bans the bet type or if any additional changes are made to ensure that student-athletes remain protected.

Players should not feel uncomfortable about their performance based on the bets made by sports fans. It seems the threats have been harmful enough that legislators and the higherups in the college sporting organizations feel that a change must be made to ensure player protection.