On January 20, 2026, the CFTC’s chairman, Michael Selig, announced that the regulator will “future-proof” itself to better navigate new financial technologies like...
NCAA urges CFTC to ban prediction markets on college sports
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has urged the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to prohibit prediction markets on college sports, stressing that student-athlete welfare risks increase.
NCAA President Charlie Baker argued in a letter sent on January 14, 2026, that college sports event contracts are too similar to traditional sports betting, pointing to contracts with moneylines, point spreads, and totals.
Baker stated:
“Just as we need Congress to stabilize eligibility, we need federal regulators to stabilize these markets. The answer cannot be the status quo. We need one set of fair, transparent standards.”
Baker added that there are different flaws that expose athletes and consumers to harm, including limited ad restrictions on campuses, lower minimum age thresholds, and ineffective integrity monitoring. Additionally, prediction market platforms aren’t required to work with national governing bodies, which reduces transparency on suspicious betting activity.
Just one day after Baker’s letter, on January 15, 2026, U.S. federal prosecutors announced strict enforcement action against betting-related activity.
The Department of Justice revealed that charges have been filed against 26 individuals for creating an international bribery scheme that involved NCAA Division I men’s basketball games. The scheme involved over 39 players across 17 NCAA programs, and bribes ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.
N1 Partners has wrapped up iGB Affiliate 2026 in Barcelona and hosted the grand finale of N1 Puzzle Promo.From January 20 to 21, 2026, N1 Partners exhibited at stand...
