Sportsbooks in Ohio are now prohibited from offering player prop betting markets on college sports. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
A drop in the ocean
The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has implemented a blanket ban on all side bets for college athletes, effective immediately. Both NCAA President Charlie Baker and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine requested the change due to concerns about these types of markets.
This means that sportsbooks cannot offer additional bets based on a college athlete’s individual performance in an NCAA-controlled event. You can only accept prop bets based on the performance of the entire team. Operators also cannot offer team-based markets where the outcome, on average, depends at least 50% on the performance of one or two athletes.
only a small part of the total stakes
The OCCC agreed that the NCAA and the governor presented “good reasons” to ban these markets. They accounted for only a small portion of the total bets accepted by legal sportsbooks in Ohio – of the $7.65 billion in wagers last year, about $104 million, or 1.35%, came from college sports prop betting .
Not everyone is happy
Each of Ohio’s eight online sportsbooks opposed the move. Some of them cited their ability to properly investigate allegations of harassment or bullying of college athletes and take necessary action.
25 US states either restrict or ban prop betting that relates to the performance of individual college athletes.
Some said banning these markets would only drive bettors to black market platforms that do not adequately protect customers and are inconsistent with Ohio laws aimed at protecting college athletes. OCCC Executive Director Matthew Schuler said there was no factual evidence that many bettors would make this transition.
Main reasons for introducing the ban
The NCAA gave six reasons why regulators should consider banning player betting. Worst of all, bettors threatened student-athletes and negatively impacted their mental health and overall well-being.
could entice athletes to bet on themselves or rig games
Specific prop betting on individual athletes also increased the likelihood of nefarious use of inside information; These markets could entice athletes to bet on themselves or rig games. College students have also been found to be more prone to problem gambling, which could be made worse by the availability of side bets for college gamblers.
