March Madness Wagering Set to Tip Off After Federal Gambling Charges

The NCAA basketball tournaments generate billions in legal bets, raising concerns about player integrity and mental health.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 10:10am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments are set to begin, generating an estimated record $3.3 billion in legal wagers. This comes just two months after federal prosecutors in Philadelphia announced criminal charges in a point-shaving scheme involving former and current college players. The NCAA is increasing efforts to monitor for potential game-fixing and providing more mental health resources for players who may face abuse from angry bettors.

Why it matters

The proliferation of legalized sports betting in recent years has heightened concerns about the integrity of college basketball games, with the NCAA warning players about associating with people seeking inside information or offering enticements to shave points. The alleged point-shaving scheme highlights the vulnerability of some players, especially those on low- and mid-major teams without lucrative name, image and likeness deals.

The details

In the federal case, six 'fixers,' 17 former players and four active players were charged with attempting to fix 29 regular-season games over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. The fixers allegedly offered each player $10,000 to $30,000 to ensure their team failed to cover the spread. The NCAA has no estimate for how often athletes are approached with such offers, but says 'there is no shortage of entrepreneurial people who look to take advantage of them for their own gain.'

  • The NCAA basketball tournaments open this week.
  • The federal charges were announced just two months ago, in January 2026.

The players

Mark Hicks

NCAA managing director of enforcement.

James Borchers

Big Ten Conference chief medical officer.

Clint Hangebrauck

NCAA managing director of enterprise risk management.

Charlie Baker

NCAA President since 2023.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Our antenna is up all year-round. If you look at it historically, when we've had concerns around contest integrity, they happen during the regular season. It doesn't mean we're immune in the championship segment. We monitor 22,000 contests throughout the year, so we're vigilant all the time.”

— Mark Hicks, NCAA managing director of enforcement

“The genie is out of the bottle. The ability to gamble, it's like a video game now. People on their phones, it's part of what sport is. And then the ability to reach athletes on social media and have contact directly with people that are participating in these events, I don't think there's any way you can insulate athletes from the effects of gambling in today's world.”

— James Borchers, Big Ten Conference chief medical officer

What’s next

This year, for the first time, NCAA Tournament teams are required to file player availability reports before each game. NCAA managing director of enterprise risk management Clint Hangebrauck hopes the publicly available reports will keep bettors from contacting players for inside information.

The takeaway

The rapid growth of legalized sports betting has heightened the need for the NCAA to be vigilant in protecting the integrity of its marquee basketball tournaments. Providing mental health resources for players and limiting certain types of prop bets are some of the ways the NCAA is trying to mitigate the risks posed by the booming gambling industry.