College Football: Governor of Ohio Praises Newly Passed Changes Banning Prop Bets on Collegiate Athletes – REPORT – 2024 Offseason

College football continues to go through unprecedented times, specifically surrounding the world of sports betting. In 2019, the Supreme Court passed a massive ruling regarding the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), legalizing sports betting across the United States at a federal level. Two years later, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that college athletes were legally allowed to receive compensation through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). With two decisions playing off each other, the amateur sporting world, specifically college football, moved into a new era.

Legal sports betting across 38 states and players receiving compensation have come with mixed reviews. Still, one thing is for sure: individual states are doing their best to adapt to the changing landscape while keeping the integrity of college sports alive. On Friday, Ohio made rule changes to their gambling laws, banning player prop betting on individual players at the college level. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine reacted to the enacted changes with much pleasure, stating satisfaction with the amendments from the Ohio Casino Control Commission. 

Governor Mike Dewine: Hails Ohio Casino Control Commission Ruling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine favors the Ohio Casino Control Commission’s decision to do away with player prop betting at the college level. On Friday, he applauded the legislative group for “protecting student-athletes from unnecessary and potentially harmful threats.”

“Amending rules to focus bets on the team and away from the individual athletes will improve the marketplace in Ohio and properly focus betting attention on the teams and away from individual student-athletes,” said DeWine in his statement regarding Ohio’s banning of player prop betting on collegiate athletes. 

I applaud newly enacted changes to sports wagering rules in Ohio that now prevent prop bets on individual player achievements, including in-game statistics and in-game achievements for collegiate sporting contests. More: https://t.co/dkhdYM782a pic.twitter.com/D0L5EwWYg7

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) February 23, 2024

DeWine took exception to “threats against the University of Dayton Flyers basketball players” in the early days of sports betting legalization in Ohio. Per the governor’s newsletter, sports betters can no longer place wagers on “individual player achievements, including in-game statistics and in-game achievements for collegiate sporting contests.” However, sports bettors can still wager on the outcome of games, including spreads and totals. 

Sports Betting: Talking College Football by Storm

College football has gone through a massive makeover in the past half-decade, with conference realignment, legalized betting, and NIL changing the sport for better or worse. States like Ohio continue to make amendments to their sports betting rules to protect the player and the integrity of the game. Each state has different regulations and guidelines regarding the markets available to bet. However, in Ohio’s instance, the NCAA stepped in, requesting the state do away with its college player prop system. Per Awful Announcing, Ohio became the 25th state to prohibit (or limit) college player props. 

The NCAA requested this change to protect the college athlete, the mental health and general well-being of student-athletes, and the risk of insider trading and fixing matches. 

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