Two US state senators and a public health advocacy organization have raised concerns over the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) decision to sell tournament data to the sports betting industry ahead of the upcoming college basketball championships.
In a joint statement, Massachusetts Senator John F. Keenan and New Jersey Senator Paul Moriarty, alongside the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI), questioned the implications of the NCAA’s partnership with Genius Sports.
The agreement enables sportsbooks to access real-time and historical data from NCAA tournaments, which critics argue could expand the availability of micro-betting markets. Micro-betting allows wagers to be placed on specific in-game moments, such as individual plays or outcomes within a match.
According to PHAI’s Director of Gambling Policy, Harry Levant, advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning have allowed operators to generate a continuous stream of betting opportunities during sporting events. Levant argued that this format of wagering may increase risks associated with problem gambling due to the speed and frequency of betting options.
Senators Keenan and Moriarty said the partnership highlights the need for additional regulation of certain betting formats. Legislative proposals currently under discussion in both Massachusetts and New Jersey aim to restrict practices such as micro-betting and same-game parlays within sports wagering markets.
The public health group also criticized the NCAA for what it described as limited transparency surrounding the agreement and warned that similar data partnerships could expand across college sports in the future.
The criticism arrives at a notable juncture for the NCAA's relationship with the gambling sector. As recently as January 2026, NCAA President Charlie Baker had urged the CFTC to suspend college sports prediction markets over athlete welfare concerns, while the association also announced a partnership with IC360 to monitor officials at Division I championships for unauthorized wagering.
Micro-betting refers to wagers placed on specific moments within a game, such as the outcome of the next play or possession
