The NFL has asked prediction-market platforms, including Kalshi and Polymarket, to stop offering contracts tied to football events that could be easily influenced by a single person. According to an ESPN report, the league flagged markets based on things like an announcer’s words, specific player signings, coach firings and in-game injury events—outcomes a team official or individual could directly affect. League executive vice president Jeff Miller said the letters came after discussions with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
CFTC Chair Michael Selig has said the agency reviews manipulation concerns raised by leagues and can prohibit a contract from being listed; he indicated the CFTC will give leagues substantial deference on these integrity matters. Under Selig’s leadership the commission has been moving to assert broader oversight of prediction markets even as state gaming regulators press lawsuits against platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
Earlier this month Major League Baseball signed a memorandum of understanding with the CFTC to establish procedures for “integrity protections” and league requests to restrict certain markets. Cointelegraph contacted Kalshi and Polymarket for comment but did not receive an immediate reply.
The NFL’s outreach arrives as U.S. lawmakers weigh legislation aimed at curbing insider trading and other risks on prediction platforms. Recent proposals were prompted by unusual wagers that appeared to reflect inside knowledge about U.S. actions related to Iran; another bill would bar the president and members of Congress from betting on these sites.
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