Louisiana Becomes the Latest State to Ban College Player Prop Bets

Louisiana becomes latest state to ban college players from prop betting

Louisiana has joined more than 30 other states that allow sports betting in banning player advertising for college athletes.

On Monday, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB) issued a notice informing its regulated retail and online sports betting operators that betting on the performance of individual college players will soon be prohibited. This rule becomes effective on August 1, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time.

Effective Aug. 1, "any suggested or supplemental bets on the performance or statistics of individual athletes participating in college athletic events" will be excluded from the state's official sports betting directory. Only recommended bets remain, based on the results for the entire varsity team.

LGCB chairman Ronnie Johns admitted the regulatory changes "could create challenges for operators".

Sports betting operators will endeavor to comply with the intent of this notice,” Johns said.

The LGCB's lawsuit comes after the NCAA asked gambling regulators to adjust its sports betting rules to exclude bases for college players. The NCAA's wishes are only for single games, not season-long bets such as who will win the Heisman Trophy.

College props were thrown away

Louisiana follows Ohio, Maryland and Vermont in recently requiring its sports betting license holders to stop offering props to college players. The NCAA says such bets have resulted in student-athletes being harassed online and in person through social media.

NCAA President Charlie Baker said player support is one of the top concerns for college athletic associations when it comes to sports betting. Baker argued that such bets not only increase the risk to the athlete, but also increase the risk to the integrity of the game, as student-athletes may be more inclined to forfeit the game in exchange for a bribe.

Sports betting is a growing problem across the country, with side bets continuing to threaten the integrity of games and leading to harassment of student and professional athletes. "The NCAA has been working with states to address these threats, and many have responded by banning college gambling," Baker said in a statement. "

With Louisiana about to impose a prop ban on college players, only three states continue to allow such bets: Kansas, Michigan and Wyoming.

Oddsmakers assume that a player's props only make up a relatively small portion of their overall action. When the Ohio Casino Control Commission banned ads targeting college gamblers in February, the agency's executive director, Matthew Schuler, said such bets accounted for only the amount legally wagered through the state's sportsbooks. less than 1.5%.

Louisiana Sports Betting Market

The LGCB reports that in Louisiana’s 2022-2023 fiscal year, online sports betting in the state generated more than $2.2 billion in wagering. Retail traders' bets were worth about $307.1 million.

Online sports betting took in nearly $206.9 million, while live betting took in $38.4 million, for a total prize pool of about $245.3 million.

Three states generated more than $1 billion in combined sports betting revenue last year, with New York leading the way at $1.7 billion. New Jersey ranked second with $1.006 billion and Illinois ranked third with $1.002 billion.

The rest of the top 10 includes Ohio ($936.6 million), Pennsylvania ($686.9 million), Virginia ($560.2 million), Maryland ($514.1 million), Arizona ($492.4 million), Massachusetts ($483.2 million) U.S. dollars) and Nevada ($481.3 million).