Ohio bans player prop bets on NCAA games

Ohio’s licensed betting operators are no longer allowed to offer player-specific proposition bets on intercollegiate athletics competitions.

US.- The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has banned player prop bets on college sports following a request from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Ohio joins a list of more than 20 states that have prohibitions on the market. Operators have until March 1 to introduce the restrictions.

The decision came after NCAA president Charlie Baker sent a letter to the commission’s executive director Matt Schuler, requesting a ban. The letter was endorsed by Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine.

Bettors will no longer be able to wager on markets such as a quarterback’s passing yards or a basketball player’s points for NCAA games. The NCAA said the aim is to protect NCAA athletes against potential harassment from bettors and to prevent match fixing.

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DeWine said: “The Ohio Casino Control Commission took quick action to protect student athletes from unnecessary and potentially harmful threats. Amending rules to focus bets on the team and away from individual athletes will improve the marketplace in Ohio and properly focus betting attention on the teams and away from individual student athletes.” 

Ohio launched legal sports betting in January 2023.