Massachusetts Clarifies Ban on Individual College Athlete Awards

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has voted unanimously to add new language to the Massachusetts Sports Wagering Catalog explicitly prohibiting bets on individual collegiate sports awards.

Massachusetts Gaming Commission opted to add the new language to the sports betting catalog to clear up confusion

The MGC’s sports wagering division recommended the rule change in order to eliminate confusion over whether such wagers are permissible in the Commonwealth.

Commissioners voted 4-0 to add the new language to the Massachusetts sports betting catalog at the MGC’s Sept. 26 meeting. The state’s wagering event catalog mentions the prohibition on student-athlete player props.

However, a separate section states that bets on individual sports performance awards are allowed for all approved leagues. Of course, this section excludes the prohibition on college player awards.

The ban on college player awards betting is already covered by the Massachusetts regulation, banning wagers that are dependent on the performance of an individual college athlete.

Furthermore, a ban on college player prop bets has been a part of Massachusetts’ gambling regulations since the launch of sports betting in the commonwealth in early 2023.

Andrew Steffen, the MGC’s sports wagering operations manager, told commissioners that Massachusetts sportsbook operators were previously made aware that awards were included in the prohibition of individual college player bets.

Numerous collegiate sports awards are banned in the Bay State

Additionally, Steffen said none of the operators have offered futures bets on individual collegiate player awards. This means the clarifying language is supposed to serve as more of a precautionary measure.

In fact, the new language banning wagering on individual collegiate awards serves as an addendum to a section in the event catalog that permits wagering on awards based on a player’s regular season statistics that are recognized by an approved league or governing body.

Nonetheless, wagering on individual professional athlete awards, such as trophies and championship game MVPs, remains banned in the Commonwealth.

Here is an overview of the majority of the collegiate sports awards that are banned for Massachusetts bettors:

• All-Americans (football, basketball, baseball and soccer)
• Ben Hogan Award (men’s golf)
• Dan Hodge Trophy (wrestling)
• Dinah Shore Trophy Award (women’s golf)
• Heisman Trophy (football)
• Hermann Trophy (men’s and women’s soccer)
• Hobey Baker Memorial Award (men’s hockey)
• John R. Wooden Award (men’s and women’s basketball)
• Lisa Leslie Award (women’s basketball)
• Maxwell Award (football)
• Mike Richter Award (men’s hockey)
• Naismith Trophy (men’s and women’s basketball)
• Player/Pitcher of the Year (baseball)
• Tewaaraton Award (men’s and women’s lacrosse)
• USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (softball)

Per Play Massachusetts, the Bay State also bans sports wagering operators from offering bets on in-state college teams outside of tournament and championship games. In other words, local gamblers should probably stick to professional sports.