The betting scandals of 2025 were unusually broad: a federal case in Brooklyn charged 34 people over alleged manipulation of NBA prop bets, two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were charged with rigging pitches, and a large college basketball point-shaving case came to light. The response in 2026 has been steady rather than dramatic.
The NFL and NBA have sent teams memos on prop limits, MLB has worked with operators and state regulators on a cap for microbets, the NCAA president has pushed for a national ban on college props, and a congressman has written to seven leagues asking for federal integrity standards.
Our view: the direction is clear, but the likely end point is a patchwork of targeted limits set by leagues and individual states, not a uniform ban. For bettors, that means reading each state's rules and each sportsbook's market list, because what is available will differ more than it did a year ago.
Source: iGaming Business. Summary written by Playfield Review.