College Betting Bans Are Counterproductive to a SAFE, WELL-REGULATED SPORTS BETTING MARKET
Sports wagering is authorized in 39 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. While professional sports comprise the overwhelming majority of total betting activity, betting on collegiate football and basketball is also very prevalent. As a result, the NCAA has proposed a handful of policy measures designed to protect the mental health and well-being of student-athletes. As part of this effort, the NCAA has requested state gaming regulators to restrict legal wagering on proposition betting involving college teams and individual athletes, stating that this was leading to an uptick in athlete harassment.
The NCAA’s unproven assertion that the availability of legal prop bets on college athletics is a root cause of athlete harassment is misguided. A transparent, well-regulated, and legal market for such wagers has proven to be the most effective measure to ensure athlete safety, protect the integrity of athletic competition, and deter consumers from engaging with unscrupulous illegal betting operations.
