The NCAA is ramping up efforts to address the controversial issue of prop betting on college sports in the United States. Executives from the organization recently raised concerns about the practice and called on more states to ban this type of wagering.
Clint Hangebrauck, the NCAA Managing Director of Enterprise Risk Management, likened prop betting on specific players to putting “a target on their back.” He believes that this type of betting makes student athletes more vulnerable to harassment. Hangebrauck linked the increase in harassment of athletes to the widespread growth of sports betting in the US, including on college campuses.
The NCAA is particularly concerned about the safety of players and the abuse they receive from disgruntled bettors. John Parsons, the Interim Senior Vice-President of the NCAA’s Sport Science Institute, emphasized that the abuse is not limited to collegiate stars but affects athletes across all divisions.
Several states have already taken action to ban prop bets on college sports. Ohio was the first to implement a ban in February, and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently voted to add a ban on individual collegiate sports bets to state gaming laws. These moves signal a potential turning point in the regulation of sports betting.
Despite the NCAA’s push for states to ban prop bets, some of the nation’s leading sportsbooks have lobbied against the prohibition. Companies like Penn Entertainment, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics argue that licensed sports wagering offers better protection for athletes and their sports than illegal gambling markets.
Hangebrauck expressed skepticism about these claims, stating that there is little evidence to support the notion that banning prop bets would drive bettors to illegal markets. The NCAA remains committed to advocating for the prohibition of prop betting on college sports to protect the integrity and safety of student athletes.