US college sports prediction market faces regulatory pressure; what is the future of prediction platforms?

【BlockBeats】Recently, there has been some excitement in the US higher education regulatory circle. The American College Sports Association has issued a statement and submitted an open letter to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, calling for a halt to prediction markets related to college sports. The reason is straightforward— the current regulatory framework has failed to adequately protect student athletes.

The core issue is on the table: prediction market platforms allow 18-year-olds to participate, but most states set the legal age for sports betting at 21. What does this gap mean? College students and even high school students could be drawn into speculative whirlpools. More concerning is that as trading activity heats up, harassment targeting student athletes also increases.

Regulatory agencies have proposed a detailed list of reforms: tighten age restrictions, regulate advertising, improve event integrity monitoring systems, implement anti-harassment mechanisms as standard, and provide students with risk warnings and resources for harm mitigation.

However, while regulatory voices are loud on one side, prediction market platforms continue to expand. Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have recently seen trading volumes surge. Interestingly, states like Connecticut, New York, Nevada, and New Jersey have already attempted to ban or restrict sports prediction markets through legislation. A tug-of-war is unfolding.