TLDR
- The Indiana Gaming Commission voted to delay a decision on banning college player prop bets until September
- The NCAA says player prop bets have led to death threats against student-athletes
- Four states — Ohio, Louisiana, Maryland, and Vermont — have already banned college player props
- Sportsbook representatives argued a ban won’t stop harassment and blamed social media
- Five of the six current IGC members have less than a year of experience on the board
The Indiana Gaming Commission has voted to table a request from the NCAA to ban college player prop bets. The decision was delayed until the commission’s next meeting on September 24 in Indianapolis.
The NCAA has been pushing states to ban player prop bets on college games. Ohio was the first to comply in February 2024, followed by Louisiana, Maryland, and Vermont.
Clint Hangebrauck, the NCAA’s managing director of enterprise risk management, told the commission that thousands of threats have been made against players. Many of those threats came from people who lost money on player prop bets during the NCAA basketball tournament.
“We’ve seen death threats, things that we have to report to law enforcement and add security to our events,” Hangebrauck said.
The commission heard over an hour of presentations from both the NCAA and licensed sports betting operators. Three Indiana universities — Indiana, Purdue, and Butler — submitted letters supporting a ban.
Scott Dolson, IU’s athletics director, wrote that bets tied to a single college athlete carry risks that team-based bets do not. He also raised concerns that such wagers could lead student-athletes to bet on themselves, which would make them permanently ineligible.
Former IU quarterback Brendan Sorsby was banned by the NCAA earlier this year. His betting history included props on his own teammates and parlays involving Hoosier football player props.
Sportsbooks Push Back on a Full Ban
Representatives from Indiana sportsbooks, including two former state gaming commission leaders, said they understood the NCAA’s concerns. But they argued that banning player props outright would not solve the harassment problem.
Sara Tait, a former IGC executive director now at Fanatics, said college sports fans would stay on social media regardless of any regulatory action. She recommended Indiana follow Ohio’s approach of banning anyone who threatens an athlete from placing bets — not banning the bets themselves.
Louis Trombetta of FanDuel, a former Florida gaming regulator, echoed that view. He said the problem lies with people making threats, not with the bets being offered.
Sportsbook representatives also argued that keeping college player props available helps operators spot suspicious betting patterns that could signal match-fixing.
Why the Commission Chose to Wait
New commissioner B.R. Lane said she wanted to speak with regulators in other states before making a decision. She said she wasn’t yet sure how to balance compliance and commerce on this issue.
Lane was appointed by Governor Mike Braun last month. Her background includes serving as director of the Illinois Lottery and working as a compliance executive for IGT.
Commissioner L. Scott Pejic also cautioned against a rushed decision. Five of the six current IGC members have less than a year of experience on the board.
The delay means college player prop bets will remain legal in Indiana for at least the first month of the college football season. The commission will revisit the issue on September 24.
