Sports betting operator DraftKings will be making a big payout, but it won’t be to cover a winning bet.
Ohio fined DraftKings $425,000 for letting people bet on college athletes, breaking a recent rule against such bets. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the company allowed these bets in March, even though they were already banned.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission, which oversees all sports and casino gaming in the Buckeye State, levied the fine.
Why Was DraftKings Fined $425,000?
Between January 2023 and March 2024, DraftKings handled close to 41,000 bets amounting to $2.5 million. DraftKings has promised to fix these mistakes and follow state laws from now on.
This involved turning off the betting options for specific college athletes in Ohio, rechecking those options, canceling all losing bets on those individual athletes, and giving the money back to the people in Ohio who placed those bets.
DraftKings hasn’t yet made a public statement about the fine. The fine will go into a sports gaming fund in Ohio, which primarily supports schools.
Why College Prop Bets Are Not Allowed in Ohio
Prop bets are wagers on parts of a game that don't affect the final score, like how well an individual player performs. Ohioans haven’t been able to place prop bets on college athletes in sports games since the beginning of March.
This decision was made by the Ohio Casino Control Commission after reports of student-athletes at Ohio universities being harassed.
More College Prop Bet Bans May Follow
Ohio is one of several states that limit betting on college athletes. Earlier this year, NCAA President Charlie Baker called on other states to do the same, saying that betting on these athletes risks the fairness of the games.
Baker shared a message on social media in the middle of March Madness. He was worried about how some gamblers were threatening the fairness of the games and harassing college athletes because they were unhappy with their bets. Just before the last game of the men's basketball season, Baker said that betting on specific events involving college athletes was a big issue. He mentioned that they had convinced some places, like Ohio, to stop allowing these types of bets online and in sportsbooks.
Wyoming Taking Steps to Stop College Athlete Harassment
This week, the Wyoming Gaming Commission updated its definition of harassment. Now, the commission can ban anyone who harasses athletes from sports betting. This change aims to protect college athletes in the state.
According to the new rules, harassment includes verbal, written, or electronic threats. It also includes sharing inappropriate or offensive comments about athletes. Anyone found doing these things will be added to a list of people banned from sports betting in Wyoming.
Wyoming's move to ban bettors for harassment is rare; only Ohio and West Virginia currently have similar rules.
The Wyoming Gaming Commission wants its new rules to reduce problems without eliminating prop bets. They believe the risk of being banned for life and the broader definition of harassment will discourage bettors from acting aggressively.
If this approach works in Wyoming, other states might adopt similar measures.
