College Player Props Not On The Menu At Detroit Sportsbooks… Yet

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Written By Matt Schoch on October 9, 2020Last Updated on October 14, 2020
college player props

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Just as March Madness was about to begin, Michigan sports fans were given a taste of the possibility to place NCAA Tournament bets. The advent of sports betting coincided perfectly with the excitement surrounding the tournament.

Nevertheless, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tournament was canceled, causing the newly opened Detroit sportsbooks to temporarily cease operations for approximately five months.

However, as Big Ten football approaches its much-anticipated start, college sports betting is on the brink of making its official entrance in the Great Lakes State.

Despite this, certain prop bets that are available for NFL games cannot be made for college football at Detroit casinos. Moreover, these prop bets will remain unavailable even after the launch of online sports betting in November.

The tribal casinos in the state are not obligated to adhere to these regulations when it comes to their physical sportsbooks. However, their online operations must comply with the rules set by the Michigan Gaming Control Board when they are introduced.

Currently, prop betting in college sports is unavailable. However, Michigan officials have the potential to include individual prop bets in the wagering options if there is a demand for it.

College prop betting and integrity issues

The drafting of sports gambling measures by various states has been influenced by the inclusion of college sports.

In New Jersey, bettors are prohibited from placing wagers on college sports teams within the state. Consequently, come Oct 24 when the Big Ten starts, no bets on Rutgers will be made in the Garden State.

As the state legislature in Ohio continues to discuss the matter, the athletic directors of 13 Division I universities in the state have collectively called for uniform standards in the Buckeye State.

Naturally, this would disappoint countless devoted Buckeyes football fans.

Citing the amateur status of the student-athletes, Michigan lawmakers subtly acknowledged and addressed these concerns.

In addition to individual prop bets, in-game player props and individual futures bets, like predicting the winner of the Heisman Trophy, are currently not available.

During March’s sports betting launch, State Rep. Michael Webber shared with Playinmichigan that there is a potential for an athlete to manipulate an individual prop and influence the outcome of a bet.

Michigan sportsbooks can offer team-based prop bets

Although individual prop bets are not currently offered, operators have the ability to provide team-based props for college football and similar sports.

This implies that a book can present a prediction regarding the total rushing yards that Michigan will achieve in a game, or the total number of sacks that Michigan State will accumulate as a team.

Sportsbooks could potentially find a clever solution by focusing on passing yards.

Sportsbooks reveal the expected number of passing yards Ohio State will accumulate during their annual dominant victory over rival Michigan.

That can be likened to a player proposition for Ohio State’s standout quarterback, Justin Fields.

Unless Fields gets injured or the score becomes extremely one-sided, he will likely be responsible for the majority, if not all, of the passing yards for OSU.

College player props not forbidden, just on hold

It should be emphasized that college player props are not illegal in Michigan, but they have not yet been approved.

The Lawful Sports Betting Act grants the MGCB the authority to define what qualifies as an acceptable bet, with the exception of pari-mutuel horse racing, which is specifically forbidden at Detroit sportsbooks.

This was an acknowledgment of the state’s horse racing industry, aimed at revitalizing the declining sport.

Amidst the pandemic shutdown, the MGCB staff took the initiative to create regulations for online gambling, which encompassed the formulation of the Internet Sports Betting Rules. Subsequently, the board presented these rules to the legislature for consideration.

Draft rules provide a pathway for college sports prop bets

The rules outline a procedure for operators and platforms to seek board approval for event categories.

An entity has the option to request the board to review specific proposals related to college matters, including those within the game itself. For instance, companies like DraftKings or FanDuel could inquire with the MGCB about the possibility of setting odds on Fields’ total passing yards during a game.

It would ultimately be up to the MGCB to decide whether the props are allowed.

In essence, the regulations for sports betting set forth guidelines for accepting events and wagers, ensuring that the outcome can be properly documented and verified.

In an email sent to Playinmichigan, Mary Kay Bean, the spokesperson for the board, stated that the MGCB will assess any proposal or request for approval regarding proposition or in-game betting on college events. The aim is to determine if it aligns with the regulations and guidelines set by the act, as well as to ensure it is in accordance with the state’s public policy.

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