Joint Statement of State Senators John F. Keenan (MA), Paul Moriarty (NJ), and the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) in Response to the NCAA's Decision to Sell Gambling Data to Sportsbooks

BOSTON and TRENTON, N.J., March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As the NCAA Men's and Women's basketball tournaments approach, State Senators John F. Keenan (MA) and Paul Moriarty (NJ), together with the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI), are raising concerns about the NCAA's decision to sell real-time and historical tournament data to the gambling industry.

"This dangerous and short-sighted partnership between the NCAA and Genius Sports enables the gambling industry to offer AI-driven in-game micro-betting on college sports," said Dr. Harry Levant, Director of Gambling Policy at PHAI. "Micro-betting allows wagers on specific moments within a game and is considered the most dangerous and addictive form of online gambling."

By utilizing AI and machine learning, gambling companies can now deliver a stream of betting opportunities. With nonstop action, the risk of gambling addiction and gambling-related harm becomes pervasive. By entering this partnership, the NCAA has prioritized money over the well-being of its student-athletes and the public.

Public health legislation is advancing in both Massachusetts and New Jersey to restrict the dangerous practice of in-game micro betting and same-game parlays. These efforts are being championed by State Senators John F. Keenan (MA) and Paul Moriarty (NJ). In a joint statement, the Senators affirm their commitment to eliminating micro-betting and same-game parlays.

"What is madness this March is to witness the NCAA prioritize profits over the well-being of its athletes and the public at large," said Senators Keenan and Moriarty. "There is an urgent need for legislation in both of our states to hold sports betting operators and leagues accountable, ensuring the safety of sports and the protection of bettors. This agreement does nothing to improve the quality of college athletics but instead exposes the integrity of college sports and bettors to greater risk while allowing betting operators to profit enormously from student-athletes' successes and failures."

The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) continues to lead a national effort to apply public health standards to the regulation of the gambling industry and its partners.

Dr. Levant warns that the NCAA is recklessly claiming that the sale of data will reduce the risks associated with micro-betting.

"The NCAA has increased the risk of harm," Dr. Levant said. "People will now wager on virtually everything that college players do in each game. To justify this, the NCAA claims the money from selling data will fund education programs. This is the equivalent of the tobacco industry offering the non-stop sale of cigarettes and then using the revenue to fund education programs. The justification offered by the NCAA is disingenuous at best."

Mark Gottlieb, Executive Director of PHAI, added: "The NCAA, unfortunately, missed an opportunity to take a leadership position in the burgeoning movement to bring comprehensive public health reform to the gambling industry. The public health movement is focused on regulating gambling as an addictive product. Unfortunately, the NCAA chose to take gambling industry money, which will result in increased high-intensity micro-betting, with it, addiction, and serious harm to players, their families, and the public.

Dr. Levant predicts that the NCAA and Genius Sports deal is just the tip of an extremely dangerous iceberg in college sports.

"Next, we'll see enormous deals negotiated by the NCAA conferences to sell even more data to the gambling industry," he said. "This will have a far-reaching impact on college athletics and the public."

PHAI Founder and President Richard Daynard said: "The NCAA decided it would join the gambling industry rather than fight it. This collaboration with the gambling industry further demonstrates the need for a comprehensive public health response at both the federal and state levels."

"At PHAI, we will continue to take a leadership role and look to protect the public by advancing important public health measures to regulate the out-of-control gambling industry," Daynard added.

Daynard, Gottlieb, and Levant also criticize the NCAA's lack of transparency around the deal.

"The NCAA fails to tell the public that this deal with Genius also enriches the National Football League (NFL)," Dr. Levant said. "The NFL is the largest shareholder in Genius. Repeatedly, we've seen the gambling industry and its sports and media partners prioritize profits over public health. This is why our work at PHAI is vitally important — and only just beginning."

About The Public Health Advocacy Institute

Founded in 1979, the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) is a nonprofit legal research center focused on public health law located at Northeastern University School of Law. In 2014, PHAI formed the Center for Public Health Litigation, a nonprofit law firm that uses the civil justice system to improve public health by using litigation targeting tobacco industry products, unhealthy foods, deceptive health marketing, and deceptive gambling practices as part of a public health strategy.

To learn more about PHAI, visit phai.org.

SOURCE Public Health Advocacy Institute