Congress examines college sports betting as witnesses urge limits on player prop bets

A U.S. House subcommittee examined sports betting on college campuses in Washington, D.C., as four witnesses supported eliminating college player prop bets and lawmakers raised concerns about prediction markets.

CDC Gaming Reports and Covers reported that the hearing took place Wednesday, while InGame reported it was held Tuesday. The hearing was titled “The Rise of Sports Gambling on College Campuses.”

Daniel Durkin, an associate professor at the University of Mississippi, described harassment of college athletes, including payment requests tied to lost wagers and threats from bettors. Covers reported that witnesses also raised concerns about the potential for player props to encourage manipulation of individual performances.

Massachusetts Gaming Commission chair Jordan Maynard said the state prohibits individual collegiate player prop bets, restricts wagering on in-state college sports and bans gambling advertisements on college campuses. Ads targeting people under 21 are also prohibited.

Maynard told the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development that age-verification requirements had prevented at least 11,000 accounts from being opened by people under 21. Massachusetts sets the legal sports wagering age at 21, but young people can use accounts belonging to others, a practice known as proxy betting.

Maynard cited a Boston University School of Public Health survey that found 34% of college students who reported using sportsbook apps were under 21. The study found approximately 22% of college-age users in Massachusetts were under 21.

Prediction markets also drew scrutiny because they offer sports event contracts to users as young as 18 and are regulated by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission rather than state gambling regulators. Rep. Alma Adams, a North Carolina Democrat, called for stronger CFTC oversight, InGame reported.

Maynard said prediction markets were illegally offering sports wagering in Massachusetts and backed Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s lawsuit against Kalshi. The case is awaiting a decision from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Cindy Clouner of Ohio State University argued that federal regulation of player props would be more effective than differing state rules. Witnesses also called for further study, funding and more workers trained to identify and treat gambling addiction, according to InGame.

Rep. Michael Baumgartner, the Washington Republican who chaired the hearing, cited a 2023 NCAA survey in which 67% of students living on campus reported betting on sports and 16% showed problem-gambling behaviors. The survey found 6% reported losing more than $500 in a single day.