The National Basketball Association (NBA), the Professional Golfers’ Association Tour (PGA Tour), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are advocating for federal authorities to raise the minimum age for engaging in sports prediction markets from 18 to 21.

In recent correspondence sent to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the leagues requested stricter regulations as the agency moves to implement the first federal standards for the burgeoning prediction market sector, as reported by NBC News.

Well-regulated online sportsbooks such as FanDuel and DraftKings function under state regulations, with most necessitating participants to be at least 21 years old. Conversely, prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are not classified as gambling venues and typically permit participation from age 18.

This inconsistency poses a considerable risk of prompting college students — and potentially even high school students — to participate in these markets in ways that could be detrimental to their health and harmful to collegiate athletics overall, the NCAA stated in its letter.

The association also voiced concerns regarding the “potentially addictive and damaging nature” of sports betting and urged regulators to impose a minimum age requirement of 21 specifically for college sports prediction markets.

The NBA echoed these concerns about the risks involved, pointing out that trading in prediction markets “comes with significant risks, including financial loss,” which may disproportionately impact younger participants. The league further recommended that if regulators do not establish a 21+ age limit, at the very least, advertising should be limited to individuals aged 18 to 20.

The PGA Tour supports the initiative to elevate the age limit for all sports-related prediction markets.

This effort arises in the context of a wider rise in sports betting in the U.S. following the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that permitted states to legalize sports wagering. Since this ruling, the prevalence of betting has surged across campuses and among the younger population.

Prediction markets, which started gaining popularity in 2024, have experienced swift growth and garnered substantial interest from younger users.