Weekly News Desk
Here are some stories you may have missed from another whirlwind week
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Time for an Intervention? (ESPN). New York Governor Kathy Hochul is looking at technological tools, including biometrics, to try and limit underage gambling in New York State.
Why does it matter. New York is the country’s largest online gambling market so taking steps, via technology or otherwise, to try and curb underage gambling is noteworthy. If it works it could be a template for other states to follow, but I think that efforts like these are not always as successful as the intent. We saw this in the UK with their digital age restrictions. Industry groups are also quick to point out that these restrictions will only apply to licensed operators and that the unlicensed gray or black market will likely continue unabated.
Are We On a Break? (The Athletic) During the NCAA Convention this week, NCAA President Charlie Baker announced that his organization is petitioning the CFTC to pause college athletics-related offerings until “a more robust system with appropriate safeguards is in place.”
Why does it matter. A lot of people are starting to ask more serious questions about prediction markets which was bound to happen once they started to get more public attention (thanks to reporting by 60 Minutes and other mainstream news sites). Most experts seem to agree that the CFTC is not currently resourced to provide real oversight of mass sports gambling and there are real considerations around college athletics where students are in a very different situation than their pro counterparts. I applaud the NCAA for trying some different tactics. And it will be interesting to see how the CFTC responds and if/how the prediction markets try to put their thumbs on the scale.
Integrity Expansion (SBC Americas). The PGA Tour has expanded its partnership with integrity monitoring firm IC360 to include its ProhiBet service that monitors betting markets for prohibited bettors and suspected fraud in real time, hinders athletes and team personnel from participating in illicit gambling activities and helps operators adhere to regulatory standards.
Why does it matter. It’s great to see leagues make use of the available tools to try and curb gambling activity by people directly associated with sports. I’d love to see more transparency around data generated by Prohibet— things like how often are its rules violated and leagues notified of the activity? What kind of rules are broken? Even data in aggregate would be helpful to see in order to better understand how users are attempting to manipulate markets or take advantage of their status with inside information.
Soccer Gambling (FIFA). FIFA announced this week that for the upcoming 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, it will partner with Stats Perform as the official betting data and betting streaming rights distributor.
Why does it matter. Soccer will be front and center in the U.S. this summer in a way it probably has never been before. And that includes thousands upon thousands of international travelers too. The gambling (and investing or trading?) will be covered extensively I am sure but it is a wrinkle that event planners and security officials have not yet had to plan for. So FIFA is certainly making money on gambling but are they investing resources in security integrity aspects of games and in preventing athlete and official harassment?
Polymarket Bans (Next.io). The National Commission for the Regulation of Electronic Communications in Ukraine ordered internet service providers in the country to restrict access to Polymarket after they deemed it illegal gambling activity.
Why does it matter. As states litigate all kinds of issues related to prediction markets in the U.S. this is a notable occurrence of a national level regulator banning a prediction market. It will be interesting to see if Ukraine provides additional detail that led to their decision— did they see it as interfering in government affairs? Was there anything beyond just the accusation of illegal gambling?
Market Trackers (Secure Stakes). I’ve started keeping two trackers that I am in the process of finding public homes for— agreements between prediction markets and news organizations and agreements between prediction markets and sports organizations. I included the news organization tracker in Monday’s article, so look out for a home for these soon.
Why does it matter. Some shameless self-promotion, I know. But I find it helpful to have bits of information easily accessible that I can reference as needed. Given how quickly things move in this space I thought it would be a helpful resource for others too.