North Carolina Sports Betting Bill Banning NCAA Props Hits House
NC Player Prop Ban: Bill Faces Uphill Battle Despite NCAA Support
Growing worries over harassment of student-athletes and coaches have prompted several U.S. states to ban NCAA player props from local sportsbooks.
Could North Carolina follow suit?
Rep. Marcia Morey on Wednesday filed House Bill 967, seeking to prohibit prop bets on college and amateur sports. Although the bill faces an uphill battle, it speaks to concerns that many have about the abuse some have faced because of betting.
Here’s more on the proposed NC player props ban.
Issue at Hand
NCAA president Charlie Baker is among those calling for a ban on NCAAB player props. Baker’s concern is that these bets have fueled increased harassment of athletes and coaches.
That is because they depend on individual performances, such as how many points a player will score.
North Carolina men’s basketball star Armando Bacot pointed to the issue during the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s terrible,” Bacot told reporters. “I looked at my DMs and I got like over a hundred messages from people telling me I suck and stuff like that because I didn’t get enough rebounds, so I mean I think it’s definitely a little out of hand.”
Dayton men’s coach Anthony Grant has also been outspoken on the topic. He raised concerns soon after sports betting was adopted in Ohio.
“There’s some laws that have recently been enacted, that really speak to me — it could change the landscape of what college sports is about,” Grant said. “And when we have people that make it about themselves and attack kids because of their own agenda, it sickens me.”
States Taking Action
Multiple states have already taken action to protect against abuse. Legislators in Ohio, Maryland and Louisiana banned NCAA player props, while Vermont altered its legislation to no longer allow betting on individual college awards, such as the Heisman or Naismith.
Meanwhile, West Virginia recently amended its betting laws by introducing a bill banning abusive gamblers.
Baker supported these decisions, calling Ohio’s ban a “significant step in protecting student-athlete well-being and game integrity.”
The ball, proverbially speaking, is now in North Carolina’s court as it weighs a NC player props ban.
Critics Answer Back
Not everyone, of course, is on board with a NC player props ban. While Baker has urged states to take initiative, some North Carolina lawmakers have downplayed concerns.
Legislators such as state Rep. Jason Saine of North Carolina have suggested there’s better ways to solve the problem than a ban.
“If we ended it tomorrow, this kind of behavior would continue with fanatical people,” Saine told CBS 17 last month. “Follow rules of society, you don’t threaten anybody, or you shouldn’t be.
And, that’s kind of my take on it. I don’t think we need a whole new set of rules to pursue something like that.”
He added: “I really think this is a salutation in search of a problem. I hope the campus police are following up on if there were threats, I hope they follow up on that.
And these people should be pursued. I think enough people, if an example is made of them, that this is not going to be tolerated, this is not how we function as a civilized society, then that problem takes care of itself.”
So Far, So Good
Sports betting got off to a roaring start in North Carolina, with more than $659 million wagered in the first month of action.
Between the March 11 launch and March 31, winnings totaled $590.7 million, which greatly exceeded expectations in the Tar Heel State.
The timing of the launch was certainly fortuitous, as it coincided with the start of the ACC men’s basketball tournament and March Madness.
College basketball is of great interest in North Carolina, and it had to help that the state placed two schools — North Carolina State and Duke— in the Elite Eight of the men’s bracket. NC State also made the Final Four on the women’s side.
Bettors bet $456 million in paid wagers and another $202 million in promotional wagers, with the gross wagering revenue for sports betting apps hitting $66.4 million.
That ranked among the best first-month performances in the few years since online sports betting was legalized in the U.S. In fact, it compared similarly to industry leaders New York ($1.6 billion in January 2022) and Ohio ($1.09 billion in January 2023).
It may be difficult to sustain such numbers. March, after all, tends to be a prosperous month for sportsbooks because of the NCAA Tournament. But the early returns for betting any sports were promising.
For betting news, odds, analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
