TechFlow reported on January 15 that, according to CoinDesk, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has sent a letter to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) requesting a halt to all prediction markets related to college sports. The NCAA stated these markets are effectively equivalent to sports betting but lack the regulatory safeguards required of licensed gambling operators.
The NCAA specifically highlighted that these prediction markets allow participation by users over the age of 18, potentially attracting current college students and athletes themselves. More concerning, contracts tied to individual athlete decisions—such as transfer portal activity—could pose "catastrophic" risks to student-athletes, including inducing coercion and harassment.
