NBA Partners with Kalshi and Polymarket on Prediction Markets
The league has named the platforms its preferred prediction market exchanges and signed an agreement with the CFTC to strengthen market integrity and information sharing.
Alissa Bergman
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has formalised its entry into prediction markets through partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket, as US sports leagues seek greater oversight of trading linked to sporting events.
On 26 October, the NBA announced a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the federal derivatives regulator, alongside the designation of Kalshi and Polymarket as its “Preferred Prediction Market Exchanges”. The league thus becomes the latest major US sports organisation to partner with event-trading platforms.
Under the new agreements, the platforms will receive rights to use NBA intellectual property, marketing opportunities in the US and official league data supplied by Sportradar. In return, the partnerships establish safeguards for NBA-related contracts, including restrictions on permissible markets and a ban on league and team personnel trading contracts linked to NBA events.
The NBA and CFTC also intend to share information and cooperate on investigations involving suspicious trading and potential integrity violations. The agreement is designed to help address concerns over insider trading, fraud and the risks posed by markets tied to professional basketball.
The league is also expanding its existing partnership with DraftKings to include prediction markets and nationwide promotion. Further agreements with other sports betting partners are expected in the coming weeks, according to the official statement.
The move comes as prediction markets face increasing legal and regulatory scrutiny across the US, with federal and state officials bickering over who should regulate contracts tied to sports events. The CFTC says these commodities fall within its federal control, while some states argue that sports contracts should be regulated as gambling.
The NBA’s deals allow the league to engage with the industry while placing protections around its competitions. Nevertheless, the memorandum with the CFTC addresses cooperation and information sharing, rather than resolving the wider dispute over regulatory jurisdiction.
