Overview
- The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games began on Saturday, June 20 and run through Friday, June 26 with most competitions at the University of Minnesota and the National Sports Center in Blaine.
- Thousands of athletes are competing across 16 sports with many events free for the public to attend and the ticketed closing ceremony available at no cost to spectators.
- Select competitions are being carried by ABC and the NFL Network and streamed on the ESPN app and fubo, with a one-hour ABC review special scheduled for July.
- Online sportsbook BetOnline has posted odds on the Games and defended the markets while saying it will make a charitable pledge, and Special Olympics and the local organizing committee have issued statements saying they have no affiliation with the operator.
- The repeat of betting markets echoes controversy from 2023 and is likely to prompt renewed public scrutiny and pressure on partners and regulators over the ethics of wagering on events for athletes with intellectual disabilities.