Missouri Rejects NCAA Prop Bet Ban as Sports Betting Alliance Pushes Back
The Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) has declined to ban player prop bets or first-half under spread wagers on college sports, despite a nationwide plea from NCAA President Charlie Baker.
Missouri launched legal sports betting in December 2025, becoming the 39th state to do so. The state allows individual prop bets so long as an in-state college team isn’t involved in the game. Missouri prohibits bets if a state team is playing.
Baker’s request triggered a requirement for the three-person board to vote within seven days. At Thursday’s extraordinary meeting, commissioners voted unanimously 3-0 to reject the ban.
The regulator stated that it didn’t want to change the rules at such an early stage. Still, it didn’t rule out revisiting the matter in the future. MGC Chair Jan Zimmerman said she didn’t yet “have enough information” to support the NCAA’s request.
MGC Executive Director Mike Leara noted that the commission has only recently launched the state’s sports betting market. He added that available data on college prop wagering is still limited.
Industry Opposition to a Ban
After receiving Baker’s letter, the MGC announced on January 16 that it would open the matter to public feedback.
The Sports Betting Alliance, which represents operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel, submitted comments to the MGC in response to the NCAA’s request. It contends that regulators should allow the prop bets, as this can aid efforts to catch any offenders.
Otherwise, bettors will turn to offshore betting sites, which don’t report suspicious wagering activity. The SBA also noted that a ban on these markets doesn’t fall under the state’s criteria for rule revisions.
Differing Approaches State-to-State
Baker sent a letter to all state gambling regulators last week after another betting scandal. He believes that individual player prop bets raise serious integrity concerns because they’re relatively easy to manipulate. The latest revelation involved over 39 players from 17 programs who attempted to point-shave in more than 29 Division I basketball games.
This request mirrors a similar one from 2023. Vermont, Ohio, Maryland, and Louisiana subsequently enacted bans on college athlete prop bets. Others, like New Jersey, New York, and Indiana, are currently considering similar curtailments.
An Indiana bill recently introduced in the legislature would prohibit college athletes from placing bets on the sport they compete in. In New York, a bill aims to limit the bet types to only outcomes, winners, and scores. It effectively eliminates prop bets. Meanwhile, New Jersey lawmakers want to end micro-betting.
On a federal level, lawmakers introduced the PROTECT Act in Congress in February 2025. However, the proposal to create a nationwide ban on college prop bets failed to gain much traction.
With the NCAA continuing to push for tighter controls on college wagering, regulators and industry stakeholders remain divided on whether bans or enhanced monitoring are the best protections for game integrity.
Image credit: RebelAt of English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons (license)
Gambling Insider delivers the latest industry news, in-depth features, and operator reviews that you can trust. Our team combines rigorous editorial standards with decades of specialized expertise to ensure accuracy and fairness. We are committed to delivering clear, impartial, and dependable coverage across the global gambling sector.
