Following the lead of Ohio, Maryland is a state that will no longer offer prop bets on individual college athletes.
“Maryland Lottery and Gaming has directed all sportsbook operators in Maryland to remove college player prop wagers from their platforms as of March 1, which brings Maryland in line with other states that do not allow these wagers in the interests of protecting college athletes from harassment,” a Maryland Lottery and Gaming spokesperson said in a statement.
While the bets on player performance during a single game are now off limits, betting on awards like the Heisman Trophy will continue to be allowed. Additionally, any wagers on individual performance made before March 1 will be honored by state sportsbooks.
The move comes just a couple of weeks after Ohio banned the same category of wagers. In the Buckeye State, both the NCAA and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine requested that the Ohio Casino Control Commission pull the wagers. After a public comment period where operators voiced concerns about the change, the regulator decided to pull the category.
The majority of states with regulated sports betting do not allow wagering on individual college athletes but there are still some markets, like Michigan and Louisiana, that do not have restrictions on those types of bets.
Elsewhere in the state, lawmakers are concerned about protecting not just student-athletes but students in general. Maryland Delegate Pamela Queen has introduced a bill that would require sportsbook to geofence state college campuses as areas where people cannot bet online.
