Significant hate
New Jersey lawmakers are considering banning individual player prop bets for college sports. Student-athletes receive significant backlash from irate bettors following games, often when they don’t hit certain individual targets like passing yards or total points scored.
A powerful example of this type of scrutiny involved Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne, who revealed on Tuesday he received many hateful messages after throwing four interceptions in a game against California in September.
people even asked for him to Venmo them the money they lost from their wagers
Some people even asked him to Venmo them the money they lost from wagers. Remarking about those incidents, Thorne mentioned how funny it is that bettors never contact them when they win their bets and don’t offer to send him any of their winnings.
Progressing in New Jersey
The NCAA is pushing state regulators to ban sportsbooks accepting individual player prop bets for college sports. More than a dozen states implemented these new rules recently, including Ohio, Arizona, New York, and Pennsylvania.
New Jersey is one of the biggest states for sports betting handle and revenue. Bill A4905 calls for a prop bet ban and it quickly gained passage on Thursday in an Assembly committee. Both chambers need to approve the bill before it goes to Governor Phil Murphy’s desk for signing.
Opposing views
Not everyone favors a prop bet ban. Gaming industry lobbyist Bill Pascrell III claims the serious harm these markets generate is not at a “demonstrable level.” He pointed out that college prop bets only account for 2%-4% of total wagers and people will turn to the black market to place these bets.
professionals complain about comments they receive during games or on social media
Despite the handle argument, it’s not just college sports where athletes are harassed by bettors. Many professionals complain about comments they receive during games or on social media from bettors.
They are also not immune to engaging in match-fixing by taking advantage of prop markets. Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA in April after leaving games early to ensure he didn’t hit individual prop bet targets.