The commission’s June 25 agenda includes a request from the NCAA to prohibit proposition wagers on college athletes in Indiana.
The Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) will consider a request from the NCAA to prohibit proposition wagers on college athletes during its June 25 business meeting. The issue appears as a standalone agenda item under “College Athletics Proposition Bets,” with commissioners scheduled to discuss an “NCAA Request for prohibition against proposition bets per Ind. Code §4-38-9-4(b).”
The request follows a January NCAA campaign urging state regulators to prohibit wagers on individual college athlete performances, which the association argues increase integrity risks and contribute to athlete harassment.
Indiana law already allows for sports governing bodies to seek betting restrictions.
Under Ind. Code §4-38-9-4, a sports governing body may request that the commission prohibit wagering on a particular event or wager type. The statute provides that the commission “shall grant the request upon a demonstration of good cause from the sports governing body.”
The commission is scheduled to consider the matter at its June 25 meeting.
NCAA Continues Push Against College Player Props
NCAA President Charlie Baker has repeatedly called for states to prohibit wagers on individual college athlete performances, arguing that the markets present heightened integrity risks.
In a January letter, Baker cited concerns over athlete harassment, the solicitation of insider information, and the risk of spot-fixing. The letter followed the announcement of a point-shaving scandal that involved 39 players across 17 schools.
Baker also argued that player-specific wagers place additional pressure on athletes because bettors can target individual performances. According to him, player prop bets are more susceptible to manipulation because a single athlete can influence the outcome of a wager without affecting the contest.
In the letter, Baker said the NCAA has formally asked state regulators to amend laws to remove player prop bets, a request the IGC is responding to.
States Have Taken Different Approaches
Several states have moved to restrict or prohibit wagers on individual college athletes. Following a 2023 NCAA request, Maryland, Louisiana, Ohio, and Vermont implemented various bans on college prop bets.
After the January request, the Missouri Gaming Commission declined to prohibit the wagers. The commission said it didn’t yet “have enough information” to support the NCAA’s request, given that the market had recently launched.
While not limited to college athletes, separate proposals in Louisiana and Colorado to ban prop bets also failed this year. In both cases, lawmakers cited concerns over potential lost revenue. In Louisiana, lawmakers cited a potential $20 million reduction in tax revenue if bets were banned.
Unlike some states that would need to enact new regulations, Indiana’s sports wagering statute expressly authorizes sports governing bodies to seek restrictions on specific wager types.
If approved, Indiana would join a growing list of states that have restricted wagers on individual college athlete performances.
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