The NCAA said Friday night it has filed a lawsuit against online sportsbook DraftKings, accusing it of using the governing body’s trademarks in connection with the NCAA tournament.
Sportsbooks often use generic terms to identify NCAA tournament games and props. It’s similar to the company’s “Big Game” promotion in February surrounding the Super Bowl. The NCA said in a statement that it is seeking an emergency temporary restraining order against DraftKings to prevent the book from using “March Madness,” “Final Four,” “Elite Eight” and “Sweet Sixteen.”
“As the NCAA makes clear in its complaint and its motion, every day that DraftKings continues to use these trademarks, millions of sports fans — especially college students and young adults who are particularly vulnerable to gambling harm — are faced with the false implication that the association has authorized or endorsed the DraftKings gambling platform,” the statement said.
“This confuses NCAA members and student-athletes with the perception that the association is involved in and/or supports sports betting, which is in direct contradiction to its strong education, integrity monitoring, anti-harassment and advocacy efforts to end high-stakes proprietary gambling.”
In recent years, the NCAA has tried to cautiously explore the realm of legal gambling. NCAA President Charlie Baker has spoken out against sportsbooks offering prop bets on individual player performances, and some states have moved to limit prop bets on individual college athletes.
