Efforts by Indiana officials to ban prop bets on college athletes continue this week, where gaming regulators will discuss the association’s request to prohibit this type of wagering.
The Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) is set to meet Thursday to debate the issue. The IGC agenda notes that commissioners may “use information from a sports governing body” to determine whether to allow wagering on particular events and allowing bets of a particular type.
The move comes after the NCAA has urged states to ban prop bets on college players to help preserve game integrity and protect student-athletes.
“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country, with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competitions and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in 2024.
“The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats, and many are responding by banning college prop bets.
Move Comes After Sorsby Scandal
A ban on college prop bets would mean bettors wouldn’t be able to wager on the Indiana University football team this fall.
While the Hoosiers won the national championship, the team also became embroiled in a recent betting scandal. Former Indiana quarterback Brendan Sorsby admitted to making thousands of bets while on the team, including at least 40 wagers on the Hoosiers.
After transferring to Texas Tech, Sorsby revealed the betting history and announced that he was entering treatment. The NCAA later ruled the quarterback ineligible.
Despite winning a temporary injunction against the NCAA in court, Sorsby announced last week that he will forgo college athletics and enter the NFL supplemental draft. This came after other schools expressed outrage at the ruling and threatened to boycott games against Tech’s sports teams.
Other States Ban Player Prop Bets On College Players
Faced with that controversy, Hoosier State gaming regulators now appear to at least be considering prohibiting prop bets on college players. A total of 15 states currently ban college player props:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Florida
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Vermont, Ohio, Maryland, and Louisiana were the most recent states to ban college player prop bets, with prohibitions going into effect in 2024. Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Missouri ban player props on colleges located within the state.
The Fix Was On
The NCAA has seen several betting scandals in recent years. In May, a former player said he foiled a match-fixing scheme by trying to win. The investigation was part of a wider probe in which prosecutors claimed that more than 39 players from at least 17 Division I schools were involved.
Investigators allege that the athletes “fixed and attempted to fix” over 29 games. Federal officials first revealed the beginning of the investigation in September and that grew in scope in the following months.
According to the IGC, sports betting handle reached $5.52 billion in 2025, an increase of $780 million.
Online wagers accounted for 98% of all bets made. Sports wagering taxes were up 14.3%, from $43 million in 2024 to $49.1 million in 2025.
