Another state moved closer to banning college player prop bets on Wednesday.
The Wyoming Gaming Commission asked staff to put together proposed rules for the prohibition of college player prop bets and punishments for athlete harassment to be discussed at a future meeting. While the commission stopped short of banning prop bets Wednesday, commissioners seemed open to the idea of a ban to improve athlete protection and bolster game integrity.
“By prohibiting any of the prop bets, I think that’s a step in the direction that we do want to go,” Commissioner Jenni Wildcat said. “We want to protect the integrity of the sports wagering, our patrons, our athletes, and us as a state.”
The discussion comes at the request of the NCAA, which has asked state regulators and legislators across the country to ban college player prop bets in an effort to curtail athlete harassment related to sports betting.
Some athletes across the country, including North Carolina’s Armando Bacot during the NCAA Tournament, have shared that they receive online harassment when they fail to reach their prop betting totals. The NCAA said in a letter to the Wyoming Gaming Commission that 30% of Division I men’s basketball players reported receiving betting-related harassment.
North Carolina is considering legislation to ban college player prop bets.
NCAA rep addresses commission 1ac68
Austin Meo, the assistant director of government relations at the NCAA, addressed the commission Wednesday. Meo shared the NCAA’s stance on prop bets and said former Wyoming head football coach Craig Bohl also s the ban. Meo told the commission a story of Bohl recounting a Wyoming football player once crying in the locker room after being harassed online over prop betting.
“The term that [Bohl] used repeatedly was that he had deep concerns about the undue stress it was placing on athletes,” Meo said.
Other coaches, including Dayton men’s basketball coach Anthony Grant, have been outspoken about athlete harassment related to betting. Meo mentioned Grant during his discussion with the commission as well, and Ohio banned college prop betting shortly after Grant’s comments.
Meo also explained prop betting changes in other states, and commissioners seemed engaged by the suggestion to view those changes when crafting their regulations. Commissioners and commission staff anticipate reading about changes elsewhere across the country, likely molding any proposed regulation changes related to prop bets and harassment around the regulations in other states.
