Indiana Gaming Commission Delays Ban on College Player Prop Bets

The Indiana Gaming Commission voted Thursday to table the NCAA’s request to ban college player prop bets, keeping those wagers available in the state while the commission prepares to reconsider the issue at its Sept. 24 meeting in Indianapolis.

Commissioners heard more than an hour of presentations from NCAA officials, representatives of college athletic programs and licensed sports betting operators. The quarterly meeting was held without a chairman and introduced two new members. B.R. Lane, a recent appointee of Gov. Mike Braun, said she wants to consult regulators in other states before making a decision and told commissioners, “We want a safe and prosperous ecosystem, and I don’t know yet how to do that, how to fairly balance compliance and commerce in this particular instance.”

NCAA officials urged a ban on single-player prop markets for college athletes, citing thousands of threats aimed at players during events such as the NCAA basketball tournament. Clint Hangebrauck, the organization’s managing director of enterprise risk management, told the commission the governing body had documented death threats and other incidents that required law enforcement notification and added security. NCAA President Charlie Baker has led the effort to eliminate these wagers; Ohio enacted a ban in February 2024, and Louisiana, Maryland and Vermont have since passed similar measures.

Indiana University, Purdue and Butler submitted letters supporting a ban. Scott Dolson, Indiana University’s director of intercollegiate athletics, wrote that bets tied to a single athlete “carry risks that are less pronounced in team-based betting,” and warned such markets can pressure student-athletes to wager on themselves, which would make them ineligible. The commission heard the example of former Indiana quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who was banned after placing multiple player prop wagers on teammates and other sports bets.

Representatives of sportsbooks and former regulators now working in the industry expressed concern for player safety but argued a product ban would not address the source of threats. Sara Tait, a former IGC executive director now with Fanatics, recommended laws that bar people who threaten athletes from wagering and noted the role of social media in amplifying harassment, saying, “So, college sports fans will remain on social media, regardless of any regulatory actions.” Louis Trombetta, FanDuel’s director of government relations, argued enforcement should focus on identifying and prosecuting individuals who make threats and that maintaining prop markets helps operators detect unusual wagering that could indicate match-fixing.

With the matter tabled, college player prop bets tied to athletes will be permitted in Indiana through at least the early weeks of the upcoming college football season. Five of the six current commissioners have served less than a year; L. Scott Pejic said the commission should not rush a decision. The panel plans to seek input from other state regulators and additional data on enforcement and market impacts before the Sept. 24 meeting.