Don’t Ban College Player Prop Bets, Casino Executive Says On 'The Edge'

With several states banning college player prop bets, an Arkansas casino executive cautions that those bans will drive bettors to unregulated offshore sites or to illegal bookies.

“Banning player props on regulated sportsbooks doesn’t ban player props,” Carlton Saffa said. “It simply pushes them to the illegal markets, whether they be offshore or bookies.”

Saffa, chief market officer at Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, expressed his views regarding this topic and more while being interviewed on Gambling.com’s “The Edge.” The chief market officer title is the equivalent of a chief executive officer position at other casinos.

Arkansas does not ban college player prop bets, but its neighbors with legal sports betting already either ban those bets or, in the case of Louisiana, will implement a ban this summer before football season begins. In three of Arkansas’ neighboring states—Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas—sports betting is illegal.

Charlie Baker, a former Massachusetts governor serving as NCAA president, has called on states to ban college player prop bets, saying they could threaten the integrity of games and lead to harassment of players.

Saffa said sports betting options should be transparent and monitored, not banned.

“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.”

Betting Line Fluctuates With Calipari Hire At Arkansas

Also during the recent interview on “The Edge,” Saffa, a University of Arkansas graduate, noted that the hiring of John Calipari to coach the Razorback basketball team generated not only excitement in the state but also a fluctuation in the betting line.

Calipari took over at Arkansas in early April after coaching for 15 years at the University of Kentucky, which, like Arkansas, is an Southeastern Conference school.

On the morning of the Calipari announcement, Saracen had Arkansas at +4000 to win the national championship. By dinnertime, the line was at +3000, Saffa said.

“It moved that fast that much,” he said, adding that the announcement created an “unbelievable amount of enthusiasm.”

Hotel, Events Center Under Construction At Saracen

In addition, Saffa discussed an expansion project underway at the Saracen property, which will add 320 hotel rooms and a 1,600-seat events center.

Saffa said he expects the project to be completed in 2025.

“Frankly, it’ll be the nicest hotel in the state,” he said.