States Crack Down on Sports Betting, Banning Credit Cards and Wagers on College Athletes

Numerous states throughout the United States are contemplating the enactment of fresh regulations concerning wagering.

Following a six-year period since states were granted the authority to establish their own guidelines regarding sports betting, legislators and regulatory bodies are placing greater emphasis on safeguarding individuals and competitors. In the preceding week, novel legislative proposals emerged aimed at prohibiting the utilization of credit cards for depositing funds into online gambling accounts and at prohibiting wagers on collegiate athletes.

In the coming week, Wyoming will initiate an examination of novel approaches to safeguarding athletes, encompassing a prohibition on wagers involving collegiate athletes.

Last week, a Pennsylvania senator named Wayne Fontana introduced a legislative proposal that would prohibit individuals from employing credit cards to deposit funds into any form of online gambling, including casinos, lotteries, and sports betting. At present, Pennsylvania permits individuals to utilize credit cards for these accounts; however, individuals dedicated to assisting those grappling with gambling issues assert that this practice is detrimental to individuals struggling with addiction.

An individual who assists individuals grappling with gambling issues stated, “There is substantial evidence indicating that the utilization of credit cards for gambling exacerbates the situation.” He remarked that the majority of nations possessing robust gambling regulations have already prohibited the use of credit cards for gambling.

The proposed legislation in Pennsylvania will become effective in two months and has been allocated to the Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee. If approved, Pennsylvania will join a small number of states such as Iowa, Massachusetts and Tennessee that prohibit the use of credit cards for wagering.

In North Carolina, authorized online sports betting commenced in March and the legislative session commenced on April 24th. According to WRAL, Rep. Marcia Morey intends to present a bill to prohibit wagers on college athletes. The NCAA has requested that legislators and regulators nationwide consider the prohibition. The organization stated that it would safeguard college athletes from harassment. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board is the most recent to implement the prohibition, which will take effect on August 1st.

The NCAA’s proposal concerning wagers on college athletes is gaining traction.
Although the credit card ban safeguards consumers, lawmakers and regulators are also seeking new measures to protect athletes.

Supporters of responsible and problem gambling also believe that these types of prohibitions provide an additional layer of athlete protection.

With the increase in sports betting, the NCAA is taking steps to safeguard student athletes from harassment and to attempt to preserve the integrity of the game – this week highlighted the significance of taking action. pic.twitter.com/krATwpS4hZ

Ohio regulators prohibited wagers on college athletes in February. Maryland’s prohibition on these types of bets became effective on March 1st.

The Ohio Gaming Oversight Board declared that it is prohibiting wagering on collegiate competitors, making Ohio the twenty-fifth state to limit or outlaw such wagers on college players.

The Wyoming Gaming Commission will hold an informative session on May 9th to start thinking about how to handle bets on college athletes, at the request of the NCAA and the University of Wyoming.

West Virginia Lottery also implemented a regulation in February that forbids harassers from wagering on legal markets. Some states will punish those who harass. The Ohio Gaming Oversight Board implemented a new athlete protection rule last July that prohibits anyone who has harassed an athlete from betting on legal markets.

@shelbymswanson penned an excellent opinion piece about how wagers are impacting college athletes and how social media enthusiasts and even delivery drivers are harassing them. [Link to the article]

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