A North Carolina lawmaker is jumping on the rapidly growing movement to ban player prop bets at the college level. Earlier this week, Representative Marcia Morey (D) introduced House Bill 967, which would eliminate individual player prop bets on college athletics in America’s newest regulated sports betting market.
The Tar Heel State is one of just eight remaining US States that still allow college-level player prop bets; a list that gets smaller every year. This betting category has generated plenty of controversy as disgruntled bettors have made life miserable for student athletes who don’t live up to the expectations of their performances that are set by sportsbooks. That misery includes everything from harassing social media posts to genuine death threats.
Not surprisingly, Morey’s proposal met with blowback from some of the state’s more conservative lawmakers, who seem to think that laws do little to inhibit individual behavior. Representative Jason Saine (R) came out against the bill in a statement reported on by Legal Sports Report saying, “If we ended it tomorrow, this kind of behavior would still continue with fanatical people. Follow rules of society, you don’t threaten anybody, or you shouldn’t be. And, that’s kind of my take on it. I don’t think we need a whole new set of rules to pursue something like that.” There’s no word on how Saine feels about legislating against other forms of violence like assault or murder.
Morey and Seine’s debate may ultimately wind up being for nothing anyways. NCAA President Charlie Baker is lobbying in Washington DC for a national ban on these bets anyways. Regardless, lawmakers in North Carolina have until July 31 to debate the bill.