By: Morgan Crew
Since online sports betting was legalized in North Carolina on March 11, 2024, residents have placed over $7.2 billion in sports bets.[1] The state set monthly records in March 2025 for the highest total bets placed and winnings paid out, likely fueled by the NCAA’s March Madness tournament.[2] This betting activity has generated over $135 million in tax revenue for the state from its eight licensed betting operators.[3]
However, this surge could decrease in response to a recent bill proposed in North Carolina’s General Assembly. Filed on April 8, 2025, House Bill 828 (the “Bill”) proposes to prohibit proposition bets (“prop bets”) on college and amateur athletes. The Bill defines prop bets as “a wager on an individual action, statistic, occurrence, or nonoccurrence to be determined during a sporting event and includes any such action, statistic, occurrence, or nonoccurrence that does not directly affect the final outcome of the sporting event to which it relates.”[4] For example, under the Bill, bets on the number of points a specific player will score or which team will be leading at halftime will be prohibited. The Bill is currently referred to the House Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee, which is the final stop before the Bill goes to a vote.[5] If the Bill is passed, the prohibition will take effect on July 1, 2025.[6]
Notably, this is not the legislature’s first attempt to ban college prop bets. A similar bill was proposed in 2024, but the session ended before it could be passed. [7] However, with heightened scrutiny from national organizations and growing public concern, the current proposal has a stronger chance at succeeding than in previous years.
The Bill reflects growing concerns about protecting student athletes and maintaining the integrity of college sports. Twelve days after North Carolina legalized sports betting, Armando Bacot, a University of North Carolina basketball player, received hundreds of threatening direct messages from angry bettors after a March Madness game.[8]Bacot stated, “I thought I played pretty good last game, but I looked at my DMs and I got like over 100 messages from people telling me I sucked and stuff like that because I didn’t get enough rebounds.”[9]
The harassment of college athletes is a nationwide issue. A recent study showed that one in three high-profile student athletes received abusive messages from individuals with betting interests.[10] In response, the NCAA launched a national sports betting anti-harassment campaign that aired during 2025 March Madness tournament broadcasting.[11] The NCAA President, Charlie Baker, has pleaded for states to join the trend of removing college prop bets from the betting market, warning that they expose student athletes to harassment, mental health strain, and potential corruption.[12]
Regulations on prop bets vary widely across the United States.[13] Currently, sixteen states have enacted full bans on player-based prop bets at the collegiate level,[14] while some states only restrict such bets to out-of-state teams, seeking to only protect local athletes from targeted harassment.[15] Ten states, including North Carolina, still allow unrestricted college prop betting; however, this number continues to decrease.[16] Following NCAA pressure in 2024, four new states adopted the trending ban.[17]
Unsurprisingly, not everyone is convinced that an absolute prohibition is the solution to the issues created by college prop bets. Financially, a ban on college prop bets would have a minimal impact on North Carolina. According to Citizens JMP Securities, college prop betting represents only 1.8% of national sports betting revenue.[18] Industry experts warn that banning college prop bets might push bettors toward illegal or offshore platforms,[19] which could undermine the state’s ability to monitor the activity.[20] Additionally, some regulators argue that alternative measures like harassment-specific penalties would more effectively reduce athlete harassment.[21]
While the future of the Bill remains uncertain, the Bill has received strong support from university administrators and state representatives.[22] If enacted, North Carolina would join many states taking action to limit the impact of gambling on collegiate sports and prioritize athlete safety, sports integrity, and responsible regulation. Overall, the Bill reflects broader national debates about monetizing college sports, industry accountability, and the state’s duty to safeguard student athletes.
[1] Brian Murphy, Lawmakers Seek to Ban Prop Bets on College Sports in North Carolina, WRAL News (Apr. 8, 2025), https://www.wral.com/story/lawmakers-seek-to-ban-prop-bets-on-college-sports-in-north-carolina/21950208/.
[2] Id.
[3]Id.
[4] H.B. 828, Gen. Assemb., Sess. 2025 (N.C. 2025).
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
[7] H.B. 967, Gen. Assemb., Sess. 2023 (N.C. 2023).
[8] Justin Tasch, UNC Star Armando Bascot Getting Bombarded with “Terrible” Messages from Angry Bettors, N.Y. Post (Mar. 28, 2024), https://nypost.com/2024/03/28/betting/uncs-armando-bacot-bombarded-with-messages-from-angry-bettors/.
[9] Saquandra Heath, Sports Betting Culture Negatively Impacts Mental Health; NCAA Works to Support Student-Athletes, NCAA (May 17, 2024), https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/5/17/media-center-sports-betting-culture-negatively-impacts-mental-health-ncaa-works-to-support-student-athletes.aspx.
[10] Id.
[11] Saquandra Heath, “Don’t be a Loser”: NCAA Launches Sports Betting Anti-Harassment Video, NCAA (Mar. 18, 2024), https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx.
[12] Associated Press, NCAA President Charlie Baker Urges State Lawmakers to Ban Prop Betting on College Athletes, U.S. News (Mar. 27, 2024), https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2024-03-27/ncaa-president-charlie-baker-urges-state-lawmakers-to-ban-prop-betting-on-college-athletes.
[13] James Bisson, College Player Prop Betting by State: Where Can You Bet n NCAA Football or March Madness Props?, Sportsbook Review (Aug. 27, 2025), https://www.sportsbookreview.com/news/college-player-prop-betting-by-state/.
[14] Id.
[15] Id.
[16] Id.
[17] Id.
[18] Pat Evans, Report: NC Sports Betting Bill Would Ban College Props in Newest US Market, Legal Sports Report (Apr. 24, 2024), https://www.legalsportsreport.com/179506/college-nc-sports-betting-prop-ban-proposal/.
[19] Associated Press, supra note 12.
[20] Id.
[21] Id.
[22] See Murphy, supra note 1.
