The NCAA did not come easily to sports betting. Now that they have, they continue to be worried that their young players could get wrapped up in trouble thanks to player props.
Naima Stevenson-Starks, the NCAA’s vice president for law, policy and governance, expressed her concern about college player props at the Sports Betting USA 2020 online seminar. She’s worried the integrity of games could become a problem if they get pressured into helping sway a bet.
“Unlike the professional leagues, we are now talking about student-athletes attending class with people who may be betting on their efforts on the field or the court,” Stevenson-Starks said. “That’s a concern. If you can think about missing a field goal or a free throw that might make the difference in a result, that’s not the most settling thought.”
The NFL previously faced the same problem, but the volume of action on pro games is much greater, Stevenson-Starks said. A DraftKings representative noted that college props are usually limited to team props. But other sites may offer a player prop from time to time, and internationally licensed books tend to offer more.