- Utah's House passed HB243 to ban proposition betting, defining it as gambling.
- Rep. Joseph Elison emphasized the bill targets prop bets, not fantasy sports leagues.
- Rep. Tyler Clancy called sports gambling destructive, while some Republicans opposed the bill.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Legislature is taking steps to ban proposition betting in Utah.
Proposition bets, or prop bets, are wagers placed on specific players or events during games that are not "directly connected to the outcome of a game," according to the online gambling company DraftKings. That could include betting on the first player to score a touchdown during a football game or on the total points scored by a basketball player.
Prop betting also happens outside of sports. The New York Times recently reported on the variety of bets people are making, ranging from election outcomes to international politics to Taylor Swift's wedding date. In fact, someone could theoretically bet on how long this KSL article is going to be — and whether it has any typos. (Hopefully, there aren't any).
HB243, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Elison, R-Toquerville, would clarify that proposition bets fall within the definition of gambling, which is prohibited by Utah's Constitution. The House of Representatives passed the bill on Tuesday, 63-9. It will next be considered by the Senate.
"I had a company reach out to me and ask if I wanted to place a bet, whether or not this bill was going to pass," Elison told his fellow House lawmakers. "That would be an example, colleagues, of a proposition bet."
Utah's Constitution specifically prohibits lawmakers from authorizing "any game of chance, lottery or gift enterprise under any pretense or for any purpose," but that hasn't stopped legislators from pushing to allow certain forms of gambling in the past.
A former state lawmaker proposed a constitutional amendment in 2024 to legalize the lottery, saying the proceeds could help offset property taxes for older Utahns. The bill never got a committee hearing, and Gov. Spencer Cox called lotteries and gambling "taxes on people who are bad at math."
Sen. David Hinkins, R-Ferron, a horse racer himself, has tried more than once to legalize betting on horse races. His proposal last year cleared a Senate committee but failed by a single vote on the Senate floor.
During debate on HB243 on Tuesday, Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, called it "one of the most important bills this session."
"Sports gambling is destroying my generation," said Clancy, who was born in 1997.
Rep. Melissa Garff Ballard, R-North Salt Lake, added that companies are working hard to "get our young men hooked" on betting.
But nine House Republicans ultimately voted against the bill. One of them, Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City, questioned whether it would impact "player-to-player fantasy-type engagements where it's more based on skill."
"We are not addressing fantasy league sports activity with this bill," Elison responded. "This is strictly a proposition bet."
He said it's important to clarify the state's stance on proposition betting as more of these issues end up in court.
"The addictive behavior of gambling is just as serious and just as devastating as addiction to pornography or drugs or alcohol," Elison said. "It is a big issue. We as a state have to stand up for our values. We have to stand up for the family."
