5BTC or 111% + 111 Free Spins!
New players only. Exclusive 111% Welcome Bonus + 111 Free Spins
The NBA has asked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to set stronger rules for sports prediction markets, as platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket keep drawing attention in the U.S.
Good to Know
The NBA did not ask the CFTC to define sports prediction markets as gambling. Instead, Dan Spillane, executive vice president and assistant general counsel at the NBA, focused on sports integrity and consumer risk in a public response letter sent Thursday. He said:
“While this letter takes no position on the legal question of whether sports prediction markets constitute gambling under federal or state law, we believe that such markets raise integrity concerns that are similar to those associated with sports betting.
lt is the NBA’s view that sports prediction markets should be subject to robust and comprehensive regulations that are specifically designed to protect the integrity of sports leagues and their competitions.”
Sports contracts became more visible in early 2025, helped by prediction market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket. As interest grew, the CFTC asked sports groups for input while considering extra oversight for event contracts tied to games.
The NBA asked the agency to raise the buying age for sports prediction contracts to 21. Spillane said:
“Like sports betting, trading in sports prediction contracts carries material risks (e.g., of financial loss) that may be particularly acute for younger individuals.”
The league also asked for stricter limits on markets that could create integrity problems. Player props sit at the center of that request. The NBA wants the CFTC to block those contracts “in the near term” while regulators work on limits for markets linked to stats that one participant could affect.
The NBA also wants bans on contracts tied to officiating, injuries, disciplinary actions, player or team transactions, fan actions, and NBA G League games.
For enforcement, the league wants prediction market platforms to report suspicious and prohibited trading. It also wants cooperation during integrity investigations, plus trading bans for league insiders and others connected to NBA competitions.