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A Senate subcommittee hearing on sports betting and game integrity has been scheduled for May 20, 2026. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., called the session after a wave of match-manipulation cases surfaced across the NBA, MLB, MLS, UFC and NCAA.
These cases, in her assessment, exposed serious gaps in how the United States monitors its betting market, now worth $165 billion. The hearing, titled “No Sure Bets: Protecting Sports Integrity in America,” begins at 10 a.m. ET in Committee Hearing Room, Russell 253.
The hearing will stream live on the committee’s website and YouTube. Blackburn chairs the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy.
The rapid rise of legal sports betting in America
Sporting wagers were legally available to bettors in only a few states eight years ago. A 2018 Supreme Court ruling changed that by overturning a longstanding federal law that had kept sports betting largely off-limits nationwide.
The ruling left individual states free to build their own regulatory frameworks. Since then, 39 states and Washington, D.C., have enacted laws authorizing some form of betting activity.
The industry’s growth in that period has been substantial. Current estimates place its value at $165 billion. More recently, prediction markets have also entered the space, adding a new dimension to the broader landscape.
Prediction markets are platforms where participants can trade on the outcomes of real-world events, including sports contests. Their emergence has created regulatory gray areas that state-level approaches have not been equipped to handle.
Match-fixing cases span the NBA, MLB, UFC and beyond
The rise of legal betting has coincided with a parallel increase in sports integrity scandals. Professional and collegiate leagues have all been forced to address issues of players or league insiders using proprietary information to place bets or intentionally affecting on-field performance to influence betting outcomes.
Basketball, baseball, soccer, mixed martial arts and college sports have all been implicated in such scandals. The breadth of leagues affected has prompted lawmakers to question whether a federal response may be necessary.
Blackburn said the cases have exposed real weaknesses in the current system.
“Fair play is the foundation of American sports,” she said, “but recent match-fixing scandals have put a spotlight on where current oversight falls short. This hearing will examine how we strengthen those protections and limit the growing exposure of young people to betting products.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, shared similar concerns. “Fans shouldn’t have to wonder if their favorite player missed a buzzer-beater or dropped a touchdown pass because of a secret bet,” he said in the press release. “Recent incidents have raised legitimate doubts, and I look forward to a serious conversation about the current state of sports betting.”
Four witnesses testifying before the subcommittee
The subcommittee will hear from four witnesses. Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, will testify on behalf of the commercial gambling industry. Mary Beth Thomas, executive director of the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council, will testify on behalf of state regulators.
Scott Sadin, co-founder and CEO of Integrity Compliance 360, will testify on industry betting monitoring. Patrick McHenry, a former US congressman now serving as senior advisor to the Coalition for Prediction Markets, will testify on the regulation of prediction markets. A fifth witness may be added before the May 20 hearing.
Congress must decide federal oversight or the status quo
States have run the sports betting industry in the United States since 2018. Congress has not played an active role in regulating sports betting or establishing standards for integrity monitoring.
The result has been a patchwork of different state approaches with varying standards, and certain areas — such as prediction markets and interstate wagering — have been left with little oversight. The Senate subcommittee is convening its May 20 hearing to consider whether those gaps require a response.
Witnesses will be questioned on whether they believe the current system of safeguards is working as intended. Blackburn also cited the exposure of minors to betting products as a specific area of concern.
No legislation has been introduced ahead of the hearing. The purpose of the hearing is investigative rather than legislative, according to committee leadership. The goal is to build a factual record of the industry’s state, the integrity-related issues, and how regulation is or is not working.
