NCAA Adds Betting Monitoring for Tournament Officials

The NCAA will monitor referees during several upcoming championship events using sports betting compliance technology for the first time. The organization announced Tuesday that it will deploy the ProhiBet system, developed by Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), to track potential betting activity among officials working NCAA tournaments.

The monitoring will apply to referees assigned to Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments as well as championship events in baseball and softball. By adding officials to the system, the NCAA aims to identify any attempts by referees to open sportsbook accounts or place bets.

More than 200 referees, including alternates, are scheduled to officiate games in the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments alone.

ProhiBet Technology Flags Impermissible Betting

The ProhiBet platform works by comparing anonymized identification data with customer records held by participating sportsbooks. When the system detects a potential match involving a restricted individual, it flags the activity so that organizations can investigate possible violations.

For the tournaments, the NCAA will upload the names of referees into the ProhiBet network. Those names are converted into anonymized identifiers and then crosschecked against betting account databases at sportsbooks that participate in the system. If a referee attempts to open a sportsbook account or place a wager, the system may detect the activity through that comparison process.

More than two dozen sportsbooks in the United States currently use ProhiBet, which has also been adopted by a number of NCAA schools and athletic conferences. However, this marks the first time the NCAA has used the technology to monitor officials during championship competitions.

NCAA rules already prohibit referees from betting on sports. Those restrictions mirror rules that apply to student-athletes, coaches, and other personnel associated with college athletics.

“Implementing ProhiBet is a major step in increasing integrity protections for college sports,” Mark Hicks, the NCAA’s managing director of enforcement, said in a news release cited by ESPN. “This platform adds another layer to the NCAA’s robust integrity monitoring program as we work to keep competition integrity and student-athlete well-being paramount in a rapidly evolving sports betting environment.”

The system is designed to help the NCAA enforce those restrictions through automated detection.

Officials Could Face Removal for Violations

Referees selected to officiate postseason games must already pass background checks before being assigned to championship events. The addition of ProhiBet introduces another compliance measure as the NCAA attempts to strengthen oversight during high-profile tournaments.

If the technology identifies a possible violation, the NCAA said it would review the case and determine whether disciplinary action is necessary. One potential outcome could include removing an official from their assigned championship duties.

IC360 described the system as a tool that allows organizations to monitor compliance while protecting the privacy of individuals through encrypted data handling.

“The engagement with IC360 provides the NCAA with a robust, proactive, and confidential tool designed to meet the unique compliance challenges presented by the rapidly expanding legal sports betting market,” IC360 said. “By implementing ProhiBet, the NCAA is setting a new benchmark for protecting the fairness of its events and helping its officiating body adhere strictly to integrity policies.”

IC360 works with several professional sports leagues, college conferences, and sportsbook operators to track betting activity and identify integrity risks across the market.

Scott Sadin, co-CEO of IC360, said the partnership with the NCAA reflects broader efforts to strengthen monitoring as legal sports betting continues to expand across the United States.

“This collaboration sets a new industry benchmark and reinforces the importance of proactive deterrence and detection in keeping collegiate athletics fair,” IC360 co-CEO Scott Sadin said.

Integrity Measures Follow Recent Betting Scandal

The NCAA’s decision to implement the monitoring system arrives during a period of heightened scrutiny surrounding betting-related issues in college sports.

A recent federal investigation uncovered a large point-shaving scheme involving players and bettors. Prosecutors indicted 26 individuals in connection with the case, which authorities say included efforts to manipulate nearly 30 basketball games between 2023 and 2025.

Seventeen former players were among those charged, accused of accepting bribes tied to the outcomes of games. Earlier investigations by the NCAA also led to several athletes being declared ineligible after the organization concluded they had manipulated contests or shared betting information.

Officials have not been implicated in the federal case, and the NCAA has not suggested that referee misconduct prompted the introduction of the ProhiBet monitoring system. Still, the organization’s move reflects an effort to reinforce safeguards around major events such as March Madness. The new system will provide another layer of oversight as betting markets and sports wagering participation continue to expand.