New North Carolina Bill Aims to Ban College Sports Prop Bets

More than a year ago, early in March 2024, North Carolina introduced online sports betting. To participate in the activity, a bettor needs to be 21 years of age or older. While North Carolina permits wagering on college sports, including college prop bets, betting on youth sports is prohibited.

Now, a new proposal seeks to ban college prop bets, amid fears about the impact of the activity on college athletes and growing concerns related to threats made by disgruntled gamblers.

HB 828 Proposes the Prohibition of College and Amateur Prop Bets

Earlier this week, several lawmakers filed House Bill 828 (HB 828), a proposal that called for the prohibition of bets on college sports. After its filing on Tuesday, the proposal passed its first reading in the House on Wednesday. Then, HB 828 was referred to the House Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee.

Primary sponsors of HB 828 are Reps. Marcia Morey, Neal Jackson, Pricey Harrison and Mitchell S. Setzer. So far, it looks like the proposal has good chances of gaining traction as it enjoys bipartisan support. Besides the primary sponsors, the bill is backed by several other Republicans and Democrats, including Reps. Eric Ager, Mary Belk, Brian Biggs, Deb Butler, Tim Longest, Joseph Pike and Julie von Haefen.

Under HB 828, prop bets on college and amateur sports would be prohibited. The bill describes a proposition wager as a bet “on an individual action, statistic, occurrence, or nonoccurrence to be determined during a sporting event and includes any such action, statistic, occurrence, or nonoccurrence that does not directly affect the final outcome of the sporting event to which it relates.”

Another Attempt to Ban College Prop Betting in North Carolina

Prop bets have become a popular form of wagering that enables bettors to gamble on a variety of occurrences or nonoccurrences, including penalties and even injuries. Such wagers are not dependent on the outcome of the whole game but rather focus on many other potential aspects.

While popular, prop bets raise concerns about the integrity of competitions and, in the cases of college sports, are proven to negatively impact athletes. This is because gamblers who have lost a bet may turn to social media and even post threats against student athletes, with such cases being recorded across the country.

Amid the growing concerns about the negative impact of prop betting on college sports, the newly introduced bill doesn’t come as a surprise. In fact, HB 828 represents another attempt by North Carolina lawmakers to prohibit college prop bets after a similar proposal failed to pick up speed last year.