Massachusetts residents won’t be able to bet on NCAA basketball’s Wooden Award, the next Heisman Trophy winner, or any other collegiate postseason awards, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission determined Tuesday morning.
With an eye toward protecting college athletes from pressure from gamblers, the commission decided to omit those types of awards from its bet menu, but potentially reconsider the issue in the future. The MGC last month authorized betting on postseason awards in the pro ranks, such as for NFL MVP.
“We can revisit this,” Commissioner Brad Hill commented about the collegiate level. “We may have a change of mind in the future.”
The decision came as the MGC begins to navigate how to handle wagering on the NCAA and conference championship tournaments. The state’s law prohibits wagering on Massachusetts college teams unless they are playing in a tournament that involves at least four teams. That means there is no wagering allowed on Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, or Massachusetts, among others, during the regular season.