Indiana delays vote on banning college player prop bets

The Indiana Gaming Commission on Thursday voted to table the NCAA’s request to ban college player prop bets and will take up the issue again at its Sept. 24 meeting in Indianapolis. The decision leaves player prop wagers available in Indiana at least through the first month of the upcoming college football season.

Commissioners said they need more time to study the issue and consult regulators in other states before making a final decision. The quarterly meeting introduced two new commissioners and was held without the panel’s chairman; five of the six current members have less than a year of experience on the board. B.R. Lane, appointed last month by Gov. Mike Braun, said she wants a ‘safe and prosperous ecosystem’ and plans to speak with counterparts in other states before the commission votes.

The NCAA told the commission that player prop markets have led to thousands of threats against student-athletes, including death threats and incidents that required law enforcement intervention and added security at events. Clint Hangebrauck, the NCAA’s managing director of enterprise risk management, described those incidents to the panel. Ohio adopted the NCAA’s request in February 2024, and Louisiana, Maryland and Vermont have since enacted similar restrictions.

Athletic officials from Indiana’s major college programs also urged a ban. Indiana University athletic director Scott Dolson wrote that ‘bets tied to the performance of a single college athlete carry risks that are less pronounced in team-based betting’ and warned such markets could encourage student-athletes to bet on themselves and become ineligible. The commission received letters supporting a ban from Indiana, Purdue and Butler.

Representatives of licensed sportsbooks, including two former state regulators now working for operators, said a blanket ban would not address the online harassment that follows losing bettors. Sara Tait, a former IGC executive director now at Fanatics, called the threats ‘deplorable’ and recommended following Ohio’s approach that bars anyone who threatens an athlete from placing wagers. Louis Trombetta, FanDuel’s director of government relations, urged strengthening law enforcement tools and monitoring rather than removing specific bet types, arguing social media activity is the source of much harassment.

Industry representatives also said keeping player prop markets available helps operators detect suspicious betting patterns that could indicate match-fixing or other integrity issues. Commissioners said the delay will allow them to review different regulatory approaches and gather more evidence before voting.

Commissioner L. Scott Pejic, who joined the board last September, said there is a ‘delicate balance’ between competing interests and that the commission should avoid a rushed decision. The panel will revisit the request at its Sept. 24 meeting in Indianapolis.