[U.S. College Sports Organization Urges CFTC to Suspend College Sports Prediction Markets] BlockBeats News, January 16 – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recently called on the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to suspend prediction markets related to college sports until more comprehensive regulations are established to protect student-athletes. NCAA President Charlie Baker sent a letter to CFTC Chairman Michael Selig on Wednesday, requesting the suspension of college sports prediction markets' operations until 'adequate safeguards are in place.' Baker pointed out that the rapid and unregulated expansion of sports prediction markets has led to an increase in harassment of student-athletes by bettors, negatively impacting their mental and physical well-being. He also emphasized that most U.S. states set the minimum age for sports betting at 21, while prediction markets often allow users as young as 18 to participate, which could 'seriously entice college and even high school students' into potentially harmful speculative behavior. In his letter, Baker proposed several regulatory recommendations, including: · Implementing stricter age restrictions and advertising standards · Establishing a more robust event integrity monitoring system · Introducing anti-harassment mechanisms · Providing resources for risk intervention and harm mitigation Despite increasing regulatory pressure, prediction market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket have seen explosive growth in trading volume in recent months. Legislators and regulators in multiple states, including Connecticut, New York, Nevada, and New Jersey, have attempted to ban or restrict sports-related prediction markets.