Louisiana Latest State to Ban Prop Betting in College Sports

When sports betting became legal in a lot of states, there was a worry about the integrity of games. Unfortunately, a lot of those worries and concerns have become reality. There's been incidents in the NBA and other major sports leagues that have raised some major red flags. The concerns have grown so much, that the NCAA has called all states with legal sports betting to suspend prop bets.

In response to the request from the NCAA, Louisiana has announced they will suspend the practice for college athletics starting soon.

What Does Louisiana's Ban on NCAA Prop Bets Mean?

Ok - so here's the break down of what this all means for betters: The ban on college player prop bets will go into effect on August 1st, 2024 - right before the start of the LSU Tigers Football season.

Louisiana joins a list of states who recently instituted the new policy. Maryland, Ohio and Vermont have all instituted bans on player prop bets. More states are expected to join the growing list soon.

What is a Player Prop Bet?

I probably should have led with this, but if you're not a prolific gambler, you may not know what a player prop bet is or how it could impact the outcome of a game.

Basically, a player prop is a bet on anything related to specific player. So, touchdown passes from a quarterback. Number of assists from a point guard in a basketball game. Etc., etc.. The list of prop bets are wide ranging. You can read a full break down on prop bets in this fantastic article from the Athletic.

How Can Prop Bets Impact Sporting Events?

You may be thinking, why is the NCAA trying to outlaw prop bets? As noted above, NCAA President Charlie Baker had a LOT to say on the subject. But instead of me paraphrasing what he said, here's his quote:

Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed. The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats, and many are responding by banning college prop bets.

In short, here's a scenario: You have outside influences that may be pressuring players to perform in certain ways. Someone's relative tells a player, "Hey, I put $100 on you to hit 5 3-pointers tonight, don't let me down."

That kind of pressure may force a player, specifically a college aged athlete, to change their game in an attempt hit a certain milestone. They may no longer be playing a team game, they are going out to try and hit 3s, or dunk the ball or whatever.