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Sportsbooks in the US have pushed every prop bet imaginable but the state of Ohio is looking to crack down it appears.
Ohio lawmakers are contemplating prohibiting bets on college player props following intense pressure from the NCAA.
The state is known for being among the most liberal when it comes to sports betting. Bars, gas stations, bowling alleys, even grocery stores, offer betting kiosks.
The NCAA sent a letter to the Ohio Casino Control Commission Jan. 31 to request ending collegiate prop betting after months of discussions. These types of college player prop offerings would only be available at some offshore sportsbooks and local bookies catering to residents of the state.
Bettors would still be allowed to place wagers on overall outcomes and final scores of collegiate games, including outright winners, over/under totals and spreads.
Ohioans placed more than $1 billion in sports bets the first month it was legal in January 2023.
According to a statement released Friday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and NCAA president Charlie Baker expressed support for ending prop bets on collegiate events.
“One year into sports gambling in Ohio, we have seen a marketplace develop where a number of bad actors have engaged in unacceptable behavior by making threats against student-athletes in Ohio and across the country,” DeWine said in a statement. “By amending rules to focus bets on the team and away from individual athletes, I believe we can improve the marketplace in Ohio and better protect student-athletes from unnecessary and potentially harmful threats.
"Sports betting without appropriate controls poses real risks to the well-being of student-athletes and to the integrity of collegiate competition – risks which are heightened by individual prop bets,” Baker said in a statement.
Baker later thanked DeWine for "acting quickly to protect student-athletes and game integrity while responsibly regulating the growing sports betting industry in Ohio.”
If the new policy goes into effect, Ohio will hardly be alone. Tennessee state gaming regulations prohibit proposition wagers for NCAA athletes for all sportsbooks. Iowa has similar prohibitions in place.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
