Bill To Ban College Prop Bets Introduced In Congress

While the reintroduction of the proposed SAFE Bet Act has taken up most of the oxygen when it comes to federal bills seeking to limit sports betting, another bill has entered the chat that seeks to ban prop bets on college athletes.

Introduced on Feb. 25, the bill — ‘‘Providing Responsible Oversight and Transparency and Ensuring Collegiate Trust for Student Athletes Act,” or, the PROTECT Act — was written by first-term Congressman Michael Baumgartner of Washington. He doubles as the chair of the College Sports Caucus.

“Sports gambling on college campuses has surged in recent years,” Baumgartner said in a press release. “Student athletes dedicate themselves to their sport and education, and it’s essential that we protect their integrity both on and off the field. This bill doesn’t ban betting on college sports games, but it targets wagers on student athletes’ individual performances. We are witnessing a troubling rise in harassment of college athletes on campuses, as well as an alarming increase in cases of student athletes being coerced into throwing games for financial gain.”

The SAFE Bet Act — which is sponsored by New York Rep. Paul Tonko and Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, both Democrats — would seek to ban all prop betting, period (among other measures). Baumgartner, a Republican, is limiting his bill’s scope strictly to the college game.

The Federal Trade Commission would enforce these rules, treating violations as unfair business practices. The legislation aims to shield college athletes from harassment and coercion while preserving the integrity of collegiate sports, taking a more focused approach than the broader SAFE Bet Act.

Under the microscope

The timing of the bill coincides with a lot of talk, discussion, and hand-wringing revolving around college athletics and gambling.

For starters, with March Madness lifting off Tuesday, Robinhood — in partnership with Kalshi — is offering a standalone exchange for the NCAA tournament, allowing people in all 50 states access to the prediction markets.

Another way to say this: People in all 50 states can now bet on the NCAA college tournament, both men’s and women. The key distinction is these sports event contracts are conducted on an exchange and not against the house.

Meanwhile, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed 55% of Americans believe betting on college sports should not be allowed at all, props or not. The same poll found 58% of the nation OK with betting on professional sports.

And all of the above is happening underneath the specter of a federal gambling investigation stemming from the Jontay Porter NBA scandal that has ensnared, to date, at least four NCAA men’s basketball teams.