Ohio Underscoregs To Stop Taking College Player Prop Bets

Placing player prop bets on the top sports betting apps in Ohio is expected to become more challenging, but for a valid reason.

On Friday, Ohio Casino Control Commission executive director Matthew Schuler announced that player-specific prop bets on college athletics will be banned on Ohio sports betting apps following a request from the NCAA.

Schuler stated that the rise in harassment of student-athletes due to their performance in intercollegiate athletics competitions poses a significant threat to Ohio’s best interests. He emphasized that player-specific prop bets may be linked to player-specific harassment, including threats, and reducing the availability of these bets could potentially decrease instances of harassment.

The ban on prop bets for college sports was prompted by a joint request from NCAA president Charlie Baker and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Governor DeWine has been advocating for changes to the Ohio sports betting system since its introduction in 2023.

The prohibition of player-specific prop bets for NCAA athletes will be implemented immediately, and Ohio sports betting sites must comply by March 1.

Defining the prop bet

Prop betting has grown into a lucrative industry for top sportsbooks. Ohio sportsbooks, offering promotions, were requested to share data on prop bets. College athlete prop bets accounted for approximately 1.35% of Ohio’s total handle in 2023, amounting to around $104.6 billion.

Schuler prohibits any wager based on the following.

• Any proposition or “prop” bet on an individual athlete’s performance or statistics when participating in a sporting event that the NCAA governs. Only proposition bets based on full team statistical results are permitted.
• Any full-team proposition bet on a sporting event the NCAA governs that, while not based solely on an individual, would on average depend 50% or more on the statistical performance of one or two athletes on the team to determine the outcome. For example, whether Team A will gain over 200 passing yards in a football game would predominantly rely on the quarterback’s yardage, likely over 50% dependence.

The issues at hand

The rapid increase in prop betting options within the growing U.S. legal sports betting market has led to a series of anticipated challenges for the sports wagering industry, as well as the leagues and athletes it depends on.

Baker outlined several key issues with prop betting in a letter from the NCAA.

• The NCAA has experienced a significant increase in reports of bettors harassing student-athletes, including some from Ohio.
• Player prop bets increase the risk of insider information being solicited and/or leveraged to manipulate betting markets. Student-athletes, unlike professional athletes, are accessible to other students and members of the public at large.
• Player prop bets may entice student-athletes to engage in sports betting by betting on themselves to outperform a player prop bet related to their own game performance.
• Player prop bets increase the risk of “spot fixing,” or would-be match fixers targeting student-athletes and other sporting participants to fix a portion of a contest without needing to fix the whole contest.

Some objections

Ohio sports betting apps raised concerns about the decision, including the potential loss of revenue for sportsbooks in the state. However, this argument was largely dismissed as only 1.35% of the state’s handle came from those specific wagers.

The worry arose regarding bettors turning to unauthorized sources for college prop bets. However, this concern was largely dismissed when Schuler revealed that college prop bets accounted for only a small portion of sports betting activity in the state.

Ohio is now one of 25 legal sports betting jurisdictions that have implemented restrictions or bans on college prop betting opportunities.

Schuler acknowledged that the NCAA has valid reasons for seeking to ban player-specific prop bets on NCAA collegiate events in Ohio. Despite the potential slight decrease in operator and tax revenue, Schuler emphasized that safeguarding student-athletes and maintaining the integrity of collegiate competitions are of higher importance.