- The Michigan Gaming Control Board released a statement following the recent arrests made in relation to illegal sports betting in the NBA.
- There is speculation that they could look into banning player prop bets in order to deter market manipulation.
DETROIT – In light of recent betting scandals in the NBA, the state of Michigan’s Gaming Control Board issued a statement on Monday reaffirming their commitment to upholding the integrity of sports betting in the state.
Multiple arrests have been made over the past few weeks involving NBA personnel, most notably Portland Trail Blazers’ head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
This has caught the attention of sports bettors all across the nation, as well as government agencies dedicated to sports betting, including the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
Their statement outlined the harms of illegal sports betting, as well as measures that they plan to take to prevent such activities, including:
- Mandatory integrity monitoring
- Review and approval of events and wager types
- Prohibition on insider betting
- Internal control requirements for operators
They specifically mention player propositions or “prop bets” as markets with an increased risk of manipulation, citing Heat guard Terry Rozier as a recent example.
“Certain types of prop bets present a higher risk of manipulation, particularly when tied to insider knowledge or player behavior,” said MCGB Executive Director Henry Williams. “As regulators, we must assess whether current safeguards are sufficient or if additional restrictions are necessary.”
This begs the question of how far the state may go in order to deter illegal sports betting. One possible solution is to outlaw player props entirely while still allowing bettors to wager on the outcome of games.
19 states have already moved to put legislation in place to manage prop betting in some form, including New York, Massachusetts, and Virginia amongst others.
Though no official plans have been announced, it would be unsurprising to see Michigan follow suit. Their neighbor to the south, Ohio, is amongst one of the most aggressive states in banning player props and is one of thirteen to have already banned betting on college athletes.
Governor Mike DeWine has proposed banning all prop bets in Ohio after a scandal involving two players from the Cleveland Guardians. Legal sports betting sites, professional sports leagues, and even other state legislators have pushed back against this idea, however.
With the recent arrests around illegal sports betting in the NBA, DeWine has an even better argument and there may be more pressure on those involved to find a solution.
Michigan betting sites are a long way away from potentially banning player props, but it remains to be seen how seriously the state is taking cracking down on illegal sports betting.
