The National Football League has reportedly sent letters to prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket, seeking to block certain types of event contracts tied to football. According to a report published Monday by ESPN, the league objects to contracts that could be easily manipulated or determined in advance by a single individual. The move signals growing tension between major sports organizations and the expanding prediction market industry.
Among the contracts the NFL specifically flagged are those linked to announcer statements, player signings, coach firings, and on-field injuries. League executive vice president Jeff Miller reportedly indicated that the letters followed discussions with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The league’s concern centers on the ease with which such contracts could be influenced by parties with inside knowledge or direct control over outcomes.
CFTC Chair Michael Selig addressed the matter in a Monday interview with ESPN, stating that when a league raises manipulation concerns about a contract proposed for listing on a prediction market, the agency takes those concerns into account and may prohibit the contract from being listed. His comments suggest the regulator is prepared to act on the NFL’s objections. The CFTC under Selig has been moving toward asserting exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets more broadly.
The regulatory landscape surrounding prediction markets remains contested. Multiple US state gaming authorities have continued to file lawsuits against platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket even as the CFTC seeks to consolidate oversight at the federal level. Earlier this month, Major League Baseball signed a memorandum of understanding with the CFTC in response to requests for integrity protections, reflecting a broader effort by sports leagues to engage directly with federal regulators.
Cointelegraph reached out to both Kalshi and Polymarket for comment on the NFL’s letters but did not receive an immediate response from either platform. The NFL’s action arrives at a moment of heightened scrutiny for the prediction market sector across multiple fronts. The industry is facing pressure from sports organizations, state regulators, and now federal lawmakers simultaneously.
In the US Congress, lawmakers have introduced legislation in response to what have been described as highly unusual bets on prediction market platforms, with concerns that the wagers may have reflected insider information about the country’s military strikes on Iran. A separate proposed bill would prohibit a sitting US president and members of Congress from placing wagers on such platforms. Together, these legislative efforts reflect mounting political concern over the integrity and oversight of prediction markets in the United States.
Originally reported by CoinTelegraph.
