The increasing popularity of prop bets and parlays on U.S. college games has resulted in a troubling consequence: a growing number of young, non-professional players are speaking out about the harassment they face when bettors lose their wagers. The backlash has become so severe that U.S. regulators are increasingly banning this type of sports betting involving college players. Recently, the NCAA, which has long advocated for a global ban on such bets, took action by withholding licensed data from operators that allow them.
“I hope your dog gets cancer,” was the message a student at the College of Ohio received from an angry bettor, as reported by The Guardian. Such messages are common: “You cost me two grand.” They are often violent: “You deserve to get unalived for blowing my bet.”
Too common, too violent.
Tyrese Haliburton, an NBA player, explains: “If I was to look at my mentions today (on X, formerly Twitter), I’m sure the majority would be about me f****** up somebody’s parlay. Even if I have a good game, they’ll say, ‘Well, you were supposed to—but why did you f*** my parlay?'”
Players, he says, are no longer judged only by their game performance—they have become “props” in people’s parlays. Bettors are no longer wagering solely on the outcome of games but also on the smallest, often absurd, details: for example, who will score the next point, whether a player or coach will cry during the national anthem, or even bets like, “If the Chiefs win, will Andy Reid be doused in BBQ sauce after the game?” Some are disturbingly cynical, such as: “Will a player leave the game and not return due to concussion symptoms?”
A push for a prop betting ban
The sheer number and aggressive nature of these messages, combined with hostile yelling during games, have led to widespread condemnation of the harassment faced by players—especially young college athletes.
As a result, a majority of U.S. states have introduced some restrictions on prop betting related to college sports. Some states, such as Ohio, Louisiana, Vermont, and Maryland, have outright banned it.
The NCAA steps up
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recently took another step toward making college games free of prop bets.
Under a new agreement, the NCAA will supply data to Genius Sports, which will then sell it to sportsbooks, in exchange for a share of the revenue. More importantly, this new contract allows the NCAA to enforce a policy it has been advocating for years: the end of prop bets involving college players.
“NCAA data will only be available to sportsbooks if they remove risky bets from their platforms,” explained Tim Buckley, the NCAA’s Senior Vice President for External Affairs. He added that sportsbooks must also “agree to fully cooperate with NCAA investigations and provide key information, including geolocation data and device records.”
“The NCAA retains the right to terminate any sportsbook’s data license if integrity protections are violated — ensuring real accountability,” he concluded.
The problem with prop betting
Beyond the harassment that players endure when bettors are allowed to place prop bets, the NCAA also warns that prop betting carries a heightened risk of match-fixing and insider manipulation. It is harder for regulators and watchdogs to detect foul play when bets are based on trivial events.
Other countries have gone even further, banning prop bets entirely, not just for college sports.
In France, for example, the ANJ (Autorité Nationale des Jeux) prohibits bets that do not rely on the bettor’s sporting knowledge, to tackle problem gambling. Bets on the colour of a player’s socks or whether the number of goals scored is odd or even are not allowed.
The ANJ explains: “It is evident from the investigation that these new forms of sports betting are based on mechanisms which, according to several scientific studies, present specific risk factors for excessive gambling. Their distribution is not justified in outlets where gambling practices are mainly anonymous and the identification of problematic behavior is still underdeveloped.”
Is banning prop betting the solution?
The American Gaming Association (AGA), while acknowledging the seriousness of the problem and launching a “Keep Your Cool” campaign to address harassment, is advocating a more measured approach than an outright ban.
The AGA argues that racist, sexist, and “general” abusive messages are more frequent than match-fixing or betting-related harassment, as reported by Vixio.
Some also argue that banning prop betting could simply push bettors toward unregulated offshore platforms and the black market, making the situation even harder to control.
Protecting these players must, however, remain the priority. A basketball coach at the University of Dayton, Ohio, spoke out about the harassment, serving as a whistleblower a few years back. Speaking about his 18- to 22-year-old players, Coach Anthony Grant declared: “They are just kids. This sickens me. They have families. They don’t deserve that. Mental health is real.”
