A North Carolina legislator is attempting to stop college player props from being offered to sports bettors in the Tar Heel State.
Following a campaign launched by NCAA president Charles Baker to curb player harassment, Rep. Marcia Morey (D-Durham) filed House Bill 967 on Wednesday.
The amendment adds a new subdivision to the sports betting law to prohibit “a wager on an individual action, statistic, occurrence, or nonoccurrence to be determined during a sporting event.”
The bill, which would go into effect July 1, includes ending wagering on individual stats for college and amateur athletes, which would cover Olympians as well.
It also adds to a section that reads: “Nothing in this article shall authorize any of the following” and includes “placing of a proposition wager on amateur sports or college sports.”
Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe) filed Senate Bill 788, a companion proposal to Morey’s bill.
No plans to change
In 2023, Morey, a former Olympic swimmer, opposed the legalization of sports betting in North Carolina, which launched mobile wagering on March 11, 2024.
Morey told WRAL last week that she planned to up the cause to end college prop betting.
“We’re forgetting about the individuals who are actually playing the game and having the pressure on them,” Morey told CBS 17 last month when discussing the prop-bet issue. “Let’s give them a break. Then to know in the back of your mind, ‘Oh, well, people are going to watch every stroke, every turn, betting on every move I make,’ it takes away from the thrill of the sport, the enjoyment.”
Ohio, Maryland, and Vermont have listened to Baker and already banned college player props. Louisiana will disallow the wagers on Aug. 1. Other states are seeking legislative action against collegiate prop bets.
With sports betting on the rise, the NCAA is acting to protect student-athletes from harassment and working to protect the integrity of the game – this week shows why it’s so important to act. pic.twitter.com/krATwpS4hZ
— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) March 27, 2024
However, fellow North Carolina lawmakers have already said they have no plans of changing the sports catalog operators can offer in the Tar Heel State this legislative session.
8-hour window
A notable and likely contentious addition to HB 967 would disallow in-person wagering at facilities where college sports are held eight hours before or during the event.
While brick-and-mortar sports betting has yet to launch, retail sportsbooks are planning to begin opening this year. PNC Arena, one of the venues approved for sports betting, is the home of the NC State men’s basketball team. The ACC’s football championship game and other college football events are held at Bank of America Stadium, another retail wagering destination. Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets and another in-person sports betting venue, held the NCAA men’s basketball tournament’s first round in March.
