Baseball season opens in a few weeks and one of the more popular wagers available to bettors is the prop bet. This wager predicts how a player will perform in specific tasks during the game. Trea Turner hitting two homers, for example.
Bettors love it. Of course, if Turner only hits one home run, or none, bettors may get a little ticked off. While it’s melodramatic to think those who wager big will somehow be tempted to accost the player outside the stadium, it is a concern when it comes to collegiate players not earning several million dollars as a salary.
At least that’s what the NCAA believes. So, it was with a measure of delight that the NCAA helped convince the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) and its executive director, Matthew Schuler, to prohibit player prop bets on NCAA games in the state.
“I have carefully considered information submitted by the NCAA and Ohio’s licensed sports gaming operators to conclude that good cause supports granting the NCAA’s request. Therefore, the prohibition is adopted and included in the Ohio Casino Control Commission’s approved catalogue of sporting events and wager types,” Schuler told PlayOHIO.
The NCAA has a handful of reasons for its support of such measures, but at its center is the safety of the athletes.
NCAA President Charlie Baker told media that students may receive threats, harassment or other unwanted attention based on their execution of the prop bet.
The NCAA named six specific areas that worried the organization:
- Harassment
- Mental health and general well-being
- Risk of market manipulation
- Risk of athletes betting on their performance
- Outsiders trying to impact player results
- Risk of problem gambling
Sportsbooks painted a different picture. Comments from eight of them resented the ban. Some acknowledged in-house policies for reporting harassment. They also blamed the risk of offshore betting on prop markets if a ban was enacted.
The OCCC can legally ban any sportsbook user found to be threatening student-athletes.
Beyond prohibiting college player props, the OCCC has taken steps to address the NCAA’s concerns individually. The state first plans to launch an app that will allow college athletes to report harassment (including anonymously) and offer support via telehealth counseling.
Schuler plans an educational public awareness campaign to educate Ohio residents to better understand the abuse of athletes.
