Stricter Penalties for Harassing Athletes in Wyoming: Player Prop Bets Remain Unbanned

Wyoming Gaming Commission Takes a Stand Against Harassment

In response to the growing need for stricter regulations, Wyoming Gaming Commission has introduced a revised definition of “harassment.” The state now defines harassment as engaging in behaviors, including but not limited to verbal, written, or electronic threats; lewd or obscene remarks or images; vandalism; or unwanted physical contact. Such actions, directed toward an individual, must be ones the perpetrator knew or should have known would cause a reasonable person:

• Significant emotional distress
• Substantial fear for their safety or the safety of others
• Substantial fear of property damage

While updating the definition of harassment, the WGC remains skeptical about the NCAA’s push to ban betting on college athlete performance props as a solution to the problem.

The Wyoming Gaming Commission even requested data from the NCAA showing a decline in athlete harassment in states like Ohio, which have implemented such bans. However, the NCAA was unable to provide specific evidence supporting its claims.

A meeting with representatives from the University of Wyoming was also held to discuss the issue. The conclusion from the discussion was that there is no definitive evidence to suggest that sports betting is the primary cause of athlete harassment.

As a result, the WGC opted to impose stricter penalties for individuals harassing athletes but decided against banning prop bets on individual college players.

A Growing Issue

Athlete harassment is undoubtedly a pressing concern, particularly in the context of sports betting. While betting should be safe for participants, it should also avoid negatively impacting the athletes who are at the center of it all—especially student-athletes.

In light of this, the NCAA launched an initiative to limit player prop bets on college athletes. The campaign has been met with public approval, but only three states—Ohio, Maryland, and Vermont—have taken concrete steps to implement bans.

A more moderate approach has been adopted by Iowa, which prohibits bets on student-athletes attending in-state colleges. Residents of Iowa cannot place bets on teams from Iowa universities but are allowed to bet on matches involving colleges from other states.