One unfortunate topic in sports this season that affected notable stars like Hunter Dickinson, Coleman Hawkins, Zeke Mayo, Oumar Ballo, and more was an increase in hate messages.
Professional athletes worldwide have discussed the concept at length for years now, but with the implementation of sports gambling nearly nationwide, college athletes have been hearing more of the same.
Following a Big 12 Tournament win over UCF in Kansas City, Kansas center Hunter Dickinson discussed the topic at length and provided some fascinating insight.
Dickinson mentioned his belief that if prop bets on collegiate athletes were outlawed, 60-70% of the hate he receives would be eliminated.
“I think for gambling, that’s probably the biggest thing,” Dickinson said. “I think if they got rid of college props for college players, that would probably eliminate 60-70% of the DMs I get. I don’t know why it’s a thing.”
Interestingly enough, to combat this specific aspect of backlash, some states have elected to make prop bets on local teams illegal. Illinois, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin have all placed bans on betting on in-state teams, at least in terms of player props.
With the state of Kansas having seen some massive athletes in its collegiate history come through, the Sunshine State could be the next one to place a rule that prohibits prop bets on local teams.
![Helmet of Detroit Lions place kicker Jake Bates (not in the photo) before the NFC divisional round between Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders] at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.](https://big12sportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/USATSI_25221883-scaled-1.jpg)