Coinbase customers are complaining about receiving a number of push notifications per day urging them to “predict” sports activities gameplay throughout “March Madness” school basketball.
Certainly, so many complaints have been reported through X that it grew to become a trending subject yesterday.
Many purchasers, echoing allegations by state attorneys common in Michigan and Arizona, described the annoying promotions as de facto ads to gamble on sports activities.
That is extremely annoying. Getting a number of of those per day from Coinbase.
I do not perceive pushing this on customers who belief coinbase to carry their stablecoin and crypto balances.
That is basically encouraging me to gamble. What does that say in regards to the inner philosophy… https://t.co/f43DQ8r4L2 pic.twitter.com/c66kvNHg5b
— John Palmer (@johnpalmer) March 22, 2026
Coinbase, is among the longest continually-operated bitcoin (BTC) exchanges which safeguards billions of {dollars}’ value of property for patrons.
Nevertheless, moderately than deal with long-term investments like BTC, Coinbase often floods its app with short-term promotions, all-or-nothing predictions, memecoins, leveraged derivatives, and different high-risk wagers.
Full-screen promotions tempt many customers into dangerous trades whereas many purchasers don’t see a single point out of BTC throughout their total Coinbase app expertise.
Certainly, the homepage of the app as of Protos’ final test, featured a “March Madness” commercial on the prime of the homescreen with no point out of BTC above the fold.
One buyer and Coinbase stockholder posted screenshots of the basketball notifications, which arrived a number of instances day by day. “This is essentially encouraging me to gamble,” he wrote.
‘Very bad for our industry’
CEO Brian Armstrong responded the identical afternoon, calling it “a fair point” and promising customization choices. Nevertheless, the concession solely drew sharper criticism.
Alexander Leishman, founding father of BTC change River, replied to Armstrong: “It’s long term very bad for our industry to be pushing sports betting. The blowback will impact all of us.”
Days earlier, a Messari researcher had posted a virtually an identical grievance. “Why am I getting notifications from Coinbase about betting odds for college basketball games?” he wrote.
“This is just reinforcing the notion that crypto is just another gambling product, and not an actual investment to be taken seriously.”
Crypto lawyer Ariel Givner in contrast the second to Juul’s rise and fall.
Different customers have been extra blunt. “Every time I open your d*** app, I’m getting bombarded with gambling notifications,” one wrote, tagging Coinbase straight.
Coinbase sports activities ‘event contracts’
Coinbase launched prediction markets in all 50 states in January 2026 by way of a partnership with Kalshi.
Customers can place “prediction” trades on sports activities, politics, and tradition outcomes, funding trades with money or USDC. Beneath federal regulation, these are legally “event contracts,” not sports activities bets.
Coinbase has sued regulators in Connecticut, Michigan, and Illinois who disagree.
The authorized distinction hasn’t satisfied everybody.
Nevada, Illinois, and Connecticut have all argued these contracts are functionally playing whereas a category motion lawsuit in New York alleged that Kalshi “dupes consumers… when they are actually gambling against the house.”
Illinois regulators acknowledged plainly that athletic competitions aren’t financial devices. Chris Christie instructed CNBC, “If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. It’s a sports bet.”
Coinbase disagrees totally and is suing varied regulators who’ve likened its prediction markets to playing.
