North Carolina Legislature Won’t Ban College Player Props, Lawmakers Predict, Eyeing Other Options

Two North Carolina lawmakers whose bills would end college player proposition bets in the state don’t believe their colleagues will vote for the ban.

But both said on Gambling.com’s “The Edge” they might seek other ways to end prop bets on college and amateur athletes. These wagers allow bettors to put money on things like the over/under and how many rebounds a basketball player might get during a game.

NCAA President Charlie Baker has called upon states to ban college player prop bets, saying these wagers could undermine the integrity of competition and lead to athletes being harassed by sports bettors.

Consequences Possible For Bettors Who Harass Players

State Rep. Marcia Morey, D-Durham, said she doubts her measure, House Bill 967, will even be heard in committee. She cited the majority Republican Party's reluctance to move the bill forward. The legislative session in Raleigh is set to end on July 31.

“If you put a bet on where my bill’s going, bet nowhere,” she said.

However, Morey, a former Olympic swimmer, said the issue is important partly because of the harassment some athletes have faced from losing bettors.

“I think we’re going to keep on with this effort, whatever avenue it takes,” Morey said.

Those efforts could include appealing to state gaming regulators to make the change themselves. In Louisiana, for instance, the Gaming Control Board has issued an order banning college player prop bets, beginning Aug. 1.

In North Carolina's upper chamber, state Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe County, said on “The Edge” that she also doubts her proposal, Senate Bill 788, will be approved during this legislative session. Mayfield’s bill seeks the same ban as Morey’s measure in the House.

Both lawmakers said they were prompted to seek a ban after learning that University of North Carolina basketball player Armando Bacot was harassed.

Mobile North Carolina sports betting was legalized on March 11, in time for in-state bettors to wager on the ACC and NCAA basketball tournaments this year.

Sports betting is legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C., though several states have outlawed college player prop bets.

With her bill bottled up in committee, Mayfield said she might seek to amend a different bill, which, if approved, would hold bettors accountable for harassing college and amateur athletes.

“If we’re not going to ban it, we at least need to have consequences,” she said.

Don’t Ban College Player Prop: Casino Executive

During an earlier interview on “The Edge,” casino executive Carlton Saffa said the answer to college player prop bets is to monitor them rather than impose a ban.

Saffa, chief market officer at Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, said a ban would only drive bettors to unregulated offshore sites.

“There’s an old saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant,” he said. “If you want to know what’s going on with something, you don’t ban it. You regulate it."