Legal March Madness gambling generates $2.7bn - and plenty of abuse for players

There will be more money riding on the NCAA Tournament than ever before in 2024. But with higher stakes comes more pressure on the athletes

March Madness is famously capricious, but as the tournament gets under way one prediction seems safe - there will be more money riding on it than ever before. But higher stakes carry increased risks and the threats and abuse directed at student-athletes are growing.

Americans will legally wager an estimated $2.72bn on the men's and women's March Madness events this year according to the American Gaming Association, a trade group. That is only a small fraction of the likely total, with many more billions expected to be ventured through unlicensed channels such as bracket pools.