Lynnae Williams Journalist
Lynnae is a journalist covering the intersection of technology, culture, and gambling. She has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor, with bylines at SlashGear and MakeUseOf. On the iGaming side,...
Read Full BioThe Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) has formally denied a request from the NCAA to restrict or exclude certain college sports wagering markets, including player prop bets and first-half under spread wagers.
In a January 22 resolution, the MGC said it had considered the NCAA’s request, along with public comments as required by the Missouri Constitution, before deciding to reject the proposal in full.
“The Missouri Gaming Commission denies the NCAA’s request in its entirety,” the MGC wrote in the resolution, adding that both collegiate player prop wagers and first-half under spread wagers “shall continue to be permitted wagers in the state of Missouri.”
MGC Chair Jan Zimmerman signed the resolution, which serves as the commission’s final order. “I just don’t feel that I have enough information to grant a request by the NCAA to prohibit this type of sports wagering because I don’t know enough yet,” Zimmerman said, according to the Associated Press. Legalized sports betting launched in Missouri on December 1, 2025, making the market relatively new.
The MGC reached its decision just a week after NCAA President Charlie Baker sent a letter to state gambling regulators requesting a ban on individual prop bets on college athletes. Baker made the request the same day federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania unsealed a sweeping point-shaving indictment involving NCAA Division I men’s basketball games and Chinese Basketball Association games.
NCAA Cited Recent Point-Shaving Case in Request to Missouri
In a January 15 letter sent to state gambling regulators, including MGC Executive Director Michael Leara, Baker asked that laws and regulations be amended to restrict certain wagers related to individual student-athlete performance, a stance he and the NCAA have taken in the past. The NCAA views player prop bets and first-half under spread markets as particularly vulnerable to manipulation.
The NCAA said its enforcement staff has opened investigations into potential game manipulation involving approximately 40 student-athletes across 20 schools over the past year, with many cases tied to individual prop bets and first-half markets. According to the letter, at least 11 student-athletes from seven schools have already been found to have bet on their own performances, shared inside information, or engaged in game manipulation.
In the letter, Baker also cited the recent point-shaving case in which 26 people were charged, as well as the increased harassment players have faced as a result of these bets. Prosecutors allege the scheme targeted wagers on teams failing to cover spreads, including first-half outcomes, markets the NCAA argues are particularly susceptible to “spot-fixing.”
While Missouri regulators acknowledged the NCAA’s concerns, they ultimately decided not to ban the bets at this time, leaving college betting markets intact under the commission’s current framework.
