While the reintroduction of the proposed SAFE Bet Act has taken up most of the oxygen when it comes to federal bills seeking to limit sports betting, another bill has entered the chat that seeks to ban prop bets on college athletes.
Introduced on 25 February, the bill – ‘‘Providing Responsible Oversight and Transparency and Ensuring Collegiate Trust for Student Athletes Act,” or the PROTECT Act – is sponsored by first-term congressman Michael Baumgartner of Washington. He doubles as the chair of the college sports caucus.
“Sports gambling on college campuses has surged in recent years,” Baumgartner said in a press release. “Student athletes dedicate themselves to their sport and education and it’s essential that we protect their integrity both on and off the field.
“This bill doesn’t ban betting on college sports games, but it targets wagers on student athletes’ individual performances. We are witnessing a troubling rise in harassment of college athletes on campuses, as well as an a..