NYSGC Chairman Backs Push to Ban College Player Props

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has continued its call to ban college player props. While it has been easy to have some states swing over to implement the ban, some have been vocal about not joining the trend of discontinuing college player props.

On April 15, New York State Gaming Commission Chairman Brian O’Dwyer addressed a letter to the NCAA commending them for their campaign to safeguard athletes and reassuring them they would not accept college player prop betting.

“With the commencement of legal sports wagering in our state, the New York State Gaming Commission made a policy determination to prohibit individual athletic-based proposition betting within any collegiate event, as we shared the same desire to insulate student-athletes from potential harassment regarding their performance. We are pleased that many states have followed our lead and have since adopted such a similar restriction,” O’Dwyer wrote.

The Advent of the Ban Campaign

Starting this year, NCAA President Charlie Baker called on the ban due to the rising number of students being harassed nationwide; hence, this move was ushered in to safeguard students and further prevent them from encountering mental health crises.

“As regulators of the largest sports betting market in the United States, we continue to believe the prohibition of college proposition betting on student-athletes is appropriate. New York State appreciates your efforts to help implement this important protective measure nationwide,” the letter from New York Gaming read.

Meanwhile, in the most recent legislative development, Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. of New York State introduced Senate Bill 8777 last month with the goal of amending the Empire State’s current gaming laws. The proposed amendment would explicitly permit betting on season-long propositions. Although nothing was mentioned, it was unclear whether it would include college player props too.

The NCAA Left With Much More Convincing to Do

Onlookers have raised questions on whether it is possible to convince all other sports betting states to join in the ban; however, the chances are slim, as Montana Lottery recently addressed a letter to the NCAA, stating that they do not intend to place a ban on college player props, being that the harassment issue that is rampant across the nation is not an issue in the Treasure State.

Some may see this as a viable reason not to join the movement because the college prop bet does not threaten athletes. Besides that, Montana has stringent gambling laws and limited betting options.

However, these judgments are only tied to the current situation. What if harassment issues become prominent in the state? Is there a chance that states like Montana will go back on their word and do what’s best for athletes? Only time will tell how this will play out.

Meanwhile, the NCAA is also taking a new approach to tackling the harassment issue by using third-party company harassment on social media. This way, if any threat to athletes is detected by the company, either through hateful comments or other means, the culprits will immediately be banned from the platform in question.

Some of the other states still carrying out college player props include Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Indiana, Delaware, Nebraska, Illinois, and a few others.

States like Maryland, Vermont, Ohio, and Louisiana have already pledged their support by implementing the ban, making the NCAA’s call to legislators easier.