"Drawing line on sports betting": NCAA President Charlie Baker proposes major change to college sports prop bets

NCAA President Charlie Baker is looking to make a significant rule change to "protect student-athletes and the integrity of the game."

Baker issued a statement on Wednesday seeking to remove college prop bets from all betting markets. The NCAA president believes sports betting issues are on the rise and have led to players being "harassed."

“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes being harassed,” Baker said in the statement. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.

“This week we will be contacting officials across the country in states that still allow these bets and ask them to join Ohio, Vermont, Maryland, and many others and remove college prop bets from all betting markets. The NCAA is drawing the line on sports betting to protect student-athletes and to protect the integrity of the game — issues across the country these last several days show there is more work to be done.”

The decision comes amid March Madness when sports betting on college sports is at its highest. It also comes after the Ohio Casino Control Commission granted a request by the NCAA to prohibit wagering on prop bets.

Prop bets are bets on specific players to either go over/under on their points, rebounds, assists or the amount of 3-point shots they make, among other certain types of bets.

Gambling scandals in sports

The NCAA and Charlie Baker are making this announcement after two serious gambling scandals in sports.

MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani was in the middle of an investigation after his interpreter allegedly stole millions of dollars from Ohtani for his gambling debt. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar claimed he didn't know any of this was going on, but an MLB investigation is ongoing.

Then, in the NBA, Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter is under investigation due to his prop bets. In two games, Porter's under bets were reportedly among the most bet on props in the NBA, and in both games, he left early, so all his unders hit.

"People were trying to do whatever they could to bet Jontay Porter props [against the Clippers]," the source said to ESPN. "And then, just a few days ago, the same thing. We had a bunch of people trying to bet under for more."

By banning prop bets, Baker and the NCAA are looking to avoid a scandal.