New York State Gaming Commission (NYGSC) chair Brian O’Dwyer didn’t get the kind of responses he was hoping for when he challenged 100 sports leagues to provide input on player prop betting manipulation.
Key Takeaways
- The New York State Gaming Commission doesn't think most leagues care about player prop manipulation.
- The NCAA and MLB were the only two leagues to offer substantive replies.
- The commission could ban game-specific markets if it deems they can be easily manipulated.
O’Dwyer said during Monday’s commission meeting that just three leagues replied, and only the NCAA, which governs college athletics, and MLB responded with meaningful comments. He didn’t name the third responsive league or the ones that didn’t reply.
“It appears to me, and the members of this commission, that most leagues couldn't care less that their leagues are being subjected to possibilities of manipulation,” O’Dwyer said. “I find the response from the leagues underwhelming, to say the least, and disappointing, to say the most.”
A lack of input from the NFL, NBA, and other professional leagues wasn’t just bothersome to O’Dwyer. It could impact the gaming commission’s allowance of player prop markets among New York’s eight online sportsbooks, he said.
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Integrity concerns
Regulators for the most lucrative sports betting market in the U.S. announced in February that it was taking a hard look at game-specific player prop markets while MLB and the NBA deal with gambling scandals.
The NYSGC asked for leagues to identify prop markets that should be restricted, limited, or even excluded. The commission said if it received concerns from sports leagues about manipulation of these types of bets, it would consider waiving the 60-day time frame to make regulatory changes and prohibit those markets sooner.
However, the absence of league input could lead the commission to make its own decisions.
“They may not be concerned about the integrity of their processes, but we are concerned about the integrity of their processes,” O’Dwyer said.
The commission hasn’t closed the door on leagues and is still hoping for input in the future.
“I hope that we get a better response, more concern from the leagues than just lip service,” O’Dwyer said.
Under fire
The NYSGC’s cage-rattling comes after Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were charged in late 2025 for manipulating pitches and taking bribes to help two bettors in the Dominican Republic.
NBA player Terry Rozier was indicted on charges and pleaded not guilty after he allegedly alerted a friend that he would remove himself from a 2023 game early so his player prop unders could hit.
Rozier’s case is similar and connected to the same game-manipulation scandal involving former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter, who is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges.
