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Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne revealed after his team’s loss to California that fans have reached out asking for money when they lose bets involving the Tigers.
“They’re definitely not sending cash,” Thorne said during a Tuesday appearance on The Next Round (h/t ESPN’s David Purdum). “It’s funny. When they lose money, they want their money back. But when they win money on a parlay, no one’s ever sent me any of the money.”
While Thorne chuckled when making the comments, Purdum explained it is an issue the NCAA is taking seriously.
Maryland, Louisiana, Ohio and Vermont are among the states that ban prop bets involving college players, and Purdum noted a study from NCAA partner and artificial intelligence company Signify revealed fans with a “betting interest” send messages to one-third of high-profile college athletes.
Sports betting has become more prevalent in today’s world, but the NCAA would like to curb some of the practices.
“This all has to stop,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said in June, per Bryan Fischer of Fox Sports. “So far we’ve managed to work with four states to shut down prop betting on college sports.”
Baker also called for a ban on all college prop bets in March.
“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity and competition and leading to student athletes and professional athletes getting harassed,” Baker said in a statement. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”
Yet the prevalence of sports betting has not stopped fans and gamblers from reaching out and contacting college athletes, as Thorne illustrated.
His comments come after he struggled during Auburn’s home loss to Cal. He went 14-of-27 for 165 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, the last of which iced the win for the Golden Bears in the final seconds.
The Tigers will look to bounce back at home against New Mexico on Saturday.