TLDR The Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) tabled the NCAA’s request to ban college player prop bets NCAA cited widespread harassment of student-athletes linked to gambling Butler, Indiana, and Purdue universities all submitted letters supporting the ban Sportsbook operators warned a ban would push bettors to unregulated offshore markets The IGC will revisit the issue on September 24, 2026
Indiana regulators have put the brakes on a proposal to ban proposition bets on college athletes, leaving the issue unresolved until the fall.
The Indiana Gaming Commission held a business meeting on Thursday where officials spent over an hour hearing arguments from both sides. Commissioners voted unanimously to table the NCAA’s request, with no decision expected until September 24.
The NCAA’s Senior Vice President for External Affairs, Tim Buckley, told regulators that the organization supports legal sports betting but cannot ignore the harm being caused to student-athletes.
Buckley said data gathered from the NCAA’s 566,000 student-athletes shows widespread harassment connected to gambling activity. Men’s basketball players were identified as bearing the heaviest burden of that abuse.
“The NCAA supports legalized sports betting,” Buckley said. “We have very good relationships with sportsbooks, operators, and casinos. We also have very good relationships with regulators such as yourselves.”
Several of Indiana’s top universities backed the NCAA’s position. Butler University, Indiana University, and Purdue University each submitted letters to IGC Executive Director Joe Hoage urging the commission to prohibit individual player prop bets.
Universities Speak Out
Purdue’s Executive Vice President and Athletics Director Michael A. Bobinski signed a letter expressing strong support for the ban. Head football coach Barry Odom and men’s basketball coach Matt Painter added their names as well.
Painter specifically noted that betting on college sports has led to athletes receiving death threats. That detail added weight to the university’s