Louisiana this week became the latest state to take prop bets involving college athletes off the Louisiana sports betting board. However, the decision will not take effect for another four months.
Ronnie Johns, the chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, signed an order on Monday informing Louisiana sportsbooks that wagers on student-athletes regarding their individual performance no longer will be allowed effective as of Aug. 1. The order, though, allows operators to honor existing bets.
“Only proposition bets based on full team statistical results are permitted,” the order read.
The action follows recent decisions by regulators in Maryland, Ohio and Vermont to prohibit such wagers, with Ohio’s Feb. 23 order coming after the NCAA requested the state to ban them. The governing body for major collegiate athletics cited concerns about athlete safety, saying players have been harassed by bettors over wagers.
Ahead of the Sweet 16 round of NCAA Tournament games last week, the NCAA formally announced it would seek a total ban on such wagers across the country.
“The NCAA is drawing the line on sports betting to protect student-athletes and to protect the integrity of the game,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement. “Issues across the country these last several days show there is more work to be done.”
Among the 38 states that have legalized sports betting, as well as the District of Columbia, more than two-thirds of them bar such wagers.
Work Began Before NCAA Request
LGCB staff members began reviewing college player prop bets “well ahead of the NCAA’s call for action,” Johns said in a statement to LouisianaBets.com.
“It is the intention of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board to protect the integrity of sports betting as well as the safety and integrity of college athletes,” Johns added. “We feel that this order accomplishes that goal.”
It’s uncertain how much money was wagered on college player props in Louisiana. Bettors in the state wagered more than $2.6 billion across all sports last year.
For perspective, Ohio sports bettors placed wagers totaling $104.6 million on college player prop markets in 2023, according to data from the Ohio Casino Control Commission. That represented less than 1.4% of the $7.65 billion total handle for the entire year.
Critics of the NCAA’s requests say the action may not necessarily stop the harassment of athletes. Prop wagers on such markets as a player’s points scored or yardage gained will still be available through offshore sportsbooks that are not regulated by the LGCB. In addition, student-athletes may still face harassment from bettors who lose point spread, moneyline or totals wagers on collegiate events.
Several states have been working on laws and regulations to punish bettors for threatening or harassing athletes over the outcome of wagers. Ohio passed a law last year that bans anyone who has made such threats from being able to wager in the state.
USA Today photo by Zach Boyden-Holmes.
