NCAA president urges states to ban prop bets on colleges

NCAA President Charlie Baker on Wednesday urged lawmakers in states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban betting on individual player performances.

“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes getting harassed,” Baker said in a statement. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats, and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”

Prop bets allow gamblers to wager on statistics a player will accumulate during a game. The NBA has opened an investigation into the Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter amid gambling allegations related to his performance in individual games.

Ohio, Vermont and Maryland are among the states that have removed prop betting on college athletes. Baker said NCAA officials are reaching out to lawmakers in other states to encourage similar bans.

The NCAA is in the middle of March Madness, and for a sixth consecutive year the number of states with legal gambling has increased. North Carolina recently became the 38th.

The American Gaming Association estimates $2.7 billion will be bet this year on the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments through legal sportsbooks.

Companies that monitor sports betting for irregularities have warned college sports administrators that prop betting on unpaid athletes elevates the potential risk for a scandal. The NCAA conducted a survey last year that found 58% of 18- to 22-year-olds are gambling.

STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH/AP 2024 NCAA President Charlie Baker, who has overseen the organization for a little more than a year, wants states to ban legal wagering on individual player performances. College administrators have been warned that prop betting on college athletes elevates the risk of a scandal.