After several recent controversies related to sports betting, National Collegiate Athletic Association President Charlie Baker is urging states to ban prop bets on college athletes.
These types of bets allow gamblers to bet on an individual player’s statistics. the National Collegiate Athletic Association He argues that these types of bets put undue pressure on athletes and can also lead to issues with the integrity of the game.
“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country as backer betting continues to threaten the integrity of competitions and lead to student-athletes and professional athletes being harassed,” Baker said last week in a statement. “the National Collegiate Athletic Association It works with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.
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The efforts come after betting has rapidly spread to several states since the Supreme Court struck down a federal law that effectively banned sports betting outside of Nevada. A total of 39 states plus Washington, D.C., and the US territory of Puerto Rico now offer some form of sports betting. Others are also considering legalization.
Over the past year, several leagues have seen betting controversy. the NBA He recently launched an investigation into two games involving Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for betting irregularities. More than a dozen Iowa college athletes were also allegedly involved in illegal gambling in 2023.
Baker believes banning prop bets may alleviate some of the pressure athletes feel and also help avoid putting them in potentially compromising positions. Some states already prohibit this type of betting.
“This week we will contact officials across the country in states that still allow these bets and ask them to join Ohio, Vermont, Maryland and many other states and remove college bets from all betting markets,” he said. “the National Collegiate Athletic Association “Drawing limits on sports betting to protect student-athletes and to protect the integrity of the game — the issues across the country over the past few days show there is more work to be done.”
National Collegiate Athletic Association Prop bets will still be available on unregulated sites, but recent reports suggest more Americans are moving their bets to legal US betting platforms.