Major League Baseball (MLB) said it has signed an “integrity protection” memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and separately named prediction market platform Polymarket as its Official Prediction Market Exchange.
MLB commissioner Robert Manfred signed the agreement with CFTC Chair Michael Selig after the league sought “strong integrity protections in the rapidly evolving prediction market space,” the league said. MLB also reached a commercial agreement with Polymarket to serve as its exclusive prediction market partner.
“The new agreements that we formed with Polymarket and the CFTC are imperative steps in proactively managing the new and rapidly growing prediction market space,” Manfred said.
MLB has previously warned players and clubs about prediction markets. In August the league circulated a memo reminding personnel that its gambling rules apply to those platforms, and in November two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were charged in an alleged scheme involving sharing inside information with sports bettors.
The agreements come amid heightened scrutiny from federal and state lawmakers of platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi. Members of Congress have cited Polymarket in proposed legislation aimed at restricting bets on military conflicts, and state authorities have pursued lawsuits alleging unlicensed wagering on sporting events.
CFTC Chair Selig has advocated for the agency’s “exclusive jurisdiction” over prediction markets, including through a proposed rule that would establish new regulatory frameworks for these platforms. Supporters of federal oversight argue it would create consistent rules across states; critics, including the American Gaming Association, say labeling wagers “event contracts” does not make them legal and accuse prediction markets of exploiting regulatory gaps to offer unregulated sports bets.
Polymarket had listed several contracts tied to MLB spring training games. The baseball season begins March 26, with 22 teams playing in the U.S.
Cointelegraph contacted Polymarket for comment on potential legal challenges tied to the partnership but had not received a response at the time of publication.
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