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States are taking different paths to reduce sports betting-related harassment of athletes, and West Virginia is part of that broader push.
According to a report highlighted by The Sentinel, West Virginia is among the jurisdictions using exclusion lists or similar tools to bar certain abusive or threatening bettors. The broader debate centers on college player prop bets, which are wagers tied to an individual athlete’s performance rather than the outcome of a game.
Fifteen states, including Maryland, Ohio, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, now ban all college player prop bets, the report said. More than a dozen others allow only limited forms of those wagers.
How West Virginia’s approach fits in
The report said West Virginia can place bettors on an exclusion list if they harass or show a harmful pattern of conduct directed at a sports official, coach, or participant in a sporting event.
That puts West Virginia in a group with places such as Ohio, Wyoming, and Washington, D.C., that have adopted tools aimed at abusive behavior tied to sports wagering.
The source did not report any new West Virginia rule change. Instead, it identified the state’s exclusion-list authority as part of a wider national effort to address harassment connected to betting.
Why states are focusing on college prop bets
The NCAA has pushed states to eliminate college player prop bets, arguing those markets can make individual athletes more vulnerable to abuse from losing bettors. NCAA President Charlie Baker said removing college player prop bets has been one of the organization’s top priorities since he took office in 2023.
A Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and Howard Center for Investigative Journalism analysis found sportsbooks offered more than 7,000 player prop betting lines during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The report also noted that, during the 2026 tournament, betting platforms offered more than 200 prop bets on men’s basketball players on Ohio teams.
Ohio went further in 2024 when the Ohio Casino Control Commission enacted rules removing college prop bets from approved sports wagers after a petition from Baker.
What West Virginia players should watch
For West Virginia readers, the key takeaway is that states are using both bet restrictions and enforcement tools against abusive conduct, not just one approach. The report said it is still unclear how much these policies reduce harassment, so this remains an area to watch as regulators and lawmakers consider additional safeguards.
More from playwv.com – Games Global enters West Virginia after Lottery Commission licence – West Virginia Lottery Breeders’ Classic S. entries set for Oct. 10 at Charles Town – WVU experts warn college students face sharper risks from sports betting
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Source: As reported by thesentinel.com.
