Ohio sportsbooks are now prohibited from offering betting markets on college sports. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
A drop in the ocean
The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has imposed a blanket ban on all backer bets on college sports players with immediate effect. Both NCAA President Charlie Baker and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine requested the change because of concerns about these types of markets.
This means that sports betting operators cannot offer any backer bets based on a college athlete’s individual performance in an NCAA-run event. They can only accept prop bets based on full team performance. Operators are also unable to offer team-based markets, where the result depends, on average, on the performance of at least 50% of one or two athletes.
Only a small portion of the total bets
The OCCC agreed that the NCAA and the governor provided “good cause” to ban these markets. They were only a small portion of the total bets accepted by Ohio’s legal parlays — of the total $7.65 billion in bets last year, about $104 million, or 1.35%, were prop bets on college sports.
Not everyone is happy
Each of Ohio’s eight online sports betting operators opposed the move. Some cited their ability to properly investigate allegations of harassment or bullying of college athletes and take action.
25 US states either limit or outright ban prop bets related to the performance of individual college athletes.
Some said banning these markets would only push bettors to black market platforms that don’t properly protect customers and don’t comply with Ohio laws meant to protect college athletes. OCCC Executive Director Matthew Schuler said there was no factual evidence to suggest many bettors would make the switch.
The main reasons for imposing the ban
The NCAA has identified six reasons why regulators should consider banning prop bets on players. Among the most dangerous were bettors threatening student athletes and negatively impacting their mental health and overall well-being.
It can tempt athletes to bet on themselves or fix matches
Prop bets on individual athletes also increase the chance of nefarious use of inside information; These markets can tempt athletes to bet on themselves or fix matches. College students have also been found to be more susceptible to problem gambling, which can be exacerbated by the availability of college player backing bets.
