West Virginia Sports Betting Harassment Bill Gains Momentum
West Virginia Gambling Harassment Bill: Now in Governors' Hands
West Virginia lawmakers are seeking ways to protect NCAA student-athletes from angry bettors.
House Bill 4700, which amends the state’s betting laws to allow for “persons from sports betting who have harassed or shown a harmful pattern of conduct directed at any person involved in a sporting event,” is set to hit West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s desk.
HB 4700 authorizes the West Virginia Lottery Commission to determine if a person poses a threat to “patrons or participants in a sports event.” The harassment could occur in person or online. Anyone banned is subject to a hearing with the commission.
Here are the reasons behind the West Virginia gambling harassment bill efforts.
Growing Concerns
West Virginia is not the first U.S. state to take measures against harassment in the betting industry. Ohio took its own action last month, prohibiting operators from offering NCAA player prop bets within the state. NCAA president Charlie Baker and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine — who had legalized sports betting in the state before its January 2023 launch — both backed that decision, citing concerns over a significant rise in the harassment of student-athletes and coaches over betting.
Baker called the decision by the Ohio Casino Control Commission a “significant step in protecting student-athlete well-being and game integrity.”
Dayton men’s basketball coach Anthony Grant was among the first people to bring attention to the issue. During the 2022-23 season, Grant used a postgame press conference to express dismay over hateful, gambling-related messages directed to both him and his players. Without saying it directly, Grant suggested the attacks came from bettors upset against gambling losses.
“There’s some laws that have recently been enacted, that really to me — it could change the landscape of what college sports is about,” “And when we have people that make it about themselves and attack kids because of their own agenda, it sickens me.” Grant told reporters.
Eight licensed sportsbooks operators objected to the ban, expressing concern that it will only foster more illegal gambling activity. However, Matthew Schuler, executive director of the OCCC, downplayed that risk, stating he believes the threat of a “black market boom to be low.”
Regardless, Ohioans are still able to wager on the outcome of NCAA games, including the spread, moneyline and Over/Under totals. Player props for professional sports also remain available.
Assessing the Landscape
It remains to be seen what kind of impact the West Virginia gambling harassment bill will have. West Virginia is one of 30 U.S. states — not including Washington, D.C. — with legalized betting sports online. It has been active in the industry since August 2019, and now has nine online gambling websites, including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and William Hill.
West Virginia is also one of six states with legal online casinos, along with Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel are among the top operators in that market for West Virginians.
This form of gaming allows players to play many of their favorite games, such as video poker, blackjack, roulette, and dozens of different slots. Proponents expect more states to adopt online casino gambling within the next year, as it has proven to be a strong source of revenue. However, it is also viewed as a more serious form of gambling, which concerns some critics about addictive behaviors.
As such, state legislators recently introduced HB 5668, which would require gambling operators to release player data with academics such as West Virginia University for research purposes.
Sheila Moran, director of marketing and communications with First Choice Services, a West Virginia-based organization promoting well-being and behavioral and social services, says new information is needed to properly assess the impact of gambling.
Stay tuned for more updates on the West Virginia gambling harassment bill.
For Gambling news and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
