Utah lawmakers are moving to reinforce the state’s long-standing ban on gambling by removing uncertainty around proposition betting. Rep. Joseph Elison has prepared legislation expected to reach Capitol Hill later in January that would explicitly define proposition wagers as illegal under Utah law. The effort reflects growing concern that certain betting products may be operating in gray areas despite the state’s constitutional prohibition on gambling.
Utah law already bars sports betting, and licensed sportsbooks use geolocation tools to block users located in the state. Elison acknowledged that some residents attempt to bypass those controls using virtual private networks, though he said such methods do not provide access to major regulated sportsbooks. He added that he personally tested a DraftKings account and was unable to place any wagers.
Proposal Clarifies Scope Of Gambling Ban
Elison said the bill would amend Utah’s criminal code to ensure that any proposition wager qualifies as unlawful activity. Under the proposal, a prop bet would be defined as a wager tied to an individual action, statistic, or occurrence during an athletic event, including bets placed while a game is underway.
The legislation followed reports suggesting that some platforms may be allowing Utah residents to place wagers without using VPNs. Elison said those reports prompted the push to ensure that any offering resembling traditional sports betting clearly falls within the existing ban. If enacted, the measure would give the Attorney General’s office authority to issue cease-and-desist letters to companies offering such bets.
House Bill 243 was referred to the House Rules Committee and the Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee. The bill builds on a criminal code section that already defines various gambling-related activities, adding proposition betting explicitly to that list.
Federal Oversight Limits State Action
Elison emphasized that the proposal does not apply to fantasy sports or prediction markets.“This bill does not touch the prediction markets platforms, which fall under the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission and which we are not allowed to regulate on a state level,” Elison said. “It also does not touch the fantasy leagues, which many states throughout the country have deemed as ‘games of skill’.”
Prediction markets began offering sports-related contracts last year, and Utah residents can currently access event contracts that resemble player prop bets. Elison acknowledged that, because of federal oversight, states have limited options to restrict those platforms directly.
Wider Scrutiny Of Prop Betting Continues
Concerns raised in Utah echo broader discussions nationwide. The NFL circulated a memo in November reminding teams of its long-standing restrictions on certain proposition bets. The league has worked with policymakers and sportsbook partners to limit wagers it views as problematic, including those tied to officiating or outcomes that a single individual could determine in one play.
Other states are addressing the issue more narrowly. New Jersey lawmakers are considering bills targeting in-game micro-betting and college player props, while Missouri regulators recently declined to ban college player props shortly after launching sports betting, noting the issue could be revisited. Together, these efforts highlight continued scrutiny of proposition betting across multiple jurisdictions.
The post Utah Targets Prop Betting As Lawmakers Close Gaps first appeared on RealMoneyAction.com.