A new change announced by the gambling regulator in Louisiana seeks to ban prop bets for college sports. The statewide expansion of sports betting paved the way for wagering on college games, in addition to professional sports. With many states offering a wide range of betting options, wagers that involved specific parts of the game became even more popular than bets on the outcome of a specific game.
Such wagers, popular as prop bets, have captured the attention of bettors, who can wager on touchdowns for a specific football player or rebounds for a basketball player. However, those bets keep raising concerns, especially when it comes to the impact on collegiate sports. Adding further fuel to the fire, there are many cases of disgruntled bettors who posted insults and warnings on social media, threatening athletes.
In this context, the change considered in Louisiana doesnβt come as a surprise. It follows an extensive review and preparation of the stateβs gambling regulator, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB). Earlier this week, the LGCB confirmed that licensed sports betting operators in the state must prohibit the use of prop bets for college sports effective from August 1, 2024.
The move against prop bets comes at a time when more states are considering implementing such bans. Once Louisiana bans college sports prop bets, the state would join Ohio, Vermont and Maryland, as states that have already established such rules.
Still, prop bets remain largely available in many other US states where there are no restrictions. While some states do not restrict prop bets, others have placed rules allowing such wagers only for out-of-state college teams.
The Ban Seeks to Protect the Integrity of College Sports, Protect Athletes
Per the LGCB announcement, betting operators in Louisiana will be allowed to honor prop bets that are outstanding. However, the regulator said that despite the challenging process, operators must ensure compliance with the new rules.
Ronnie Johns, LGCBβs chairman, revealed in a statement that the prop bets ban for college sports seeks to protect college athletes. Moreover, he said that through the ban, the regulator wants to ensure the integrity of college games. βWe feel that this order accomplishes that goal,β added Johns.
βIt is the intention of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board to protect the integrity of sports betting as well as the safety and integrity of college athletes.β
Ronnie Johns, chairman of the LGCB
Last week, Massachusetts announced the creation of the Youth Sports Betting Safety Coalition, an initiative that seeks to raise awareness of the dangers of sports betting, provide education and protect young people from gambling harm. The effort was supported by a number of teams in the state, together with the NCAA.
At the time, the NCAA president, Charlie Baker, spoke about the importance of protecting college athletes, adding that he supports restrictions for prop bets. With that in mind, the LGCB said that it has been working on the ban for college prop bets weeks ahead of the NCAAβs recent call for action.