regulation
NBA signs CFTC prediction-market MOU, taps Kalshi and Polymarket
The NBA becomes the third US pro league after MLB and NHL to sign a CFTC information-sharing MOU on prediction markets, and names Kalshi and Polymarket as preferred exchanges.
The National Basketball Association has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission covering information sharing on prediction markets, both outlets confirmed Monday. The league named Kalshi and Polymarket as its "preferred prediction market exchanges," two platforms that already run NBA event contracts under CFTC jurisdiction. The agreement makes the NBA the third major US professional league to formalise a CFTC relationship after the MLB (March 19, 2026) and the NHL (May 2026).
What the MOU covers
Per a CFTC statement cited by The Block, the MOU sets up information-sharing channels and opens direct lines of communication aimed at preserving market integrity. Neither the CFTC nor the NBA has released the MOU text. The agreement does not grant exclusivity: Kalshi and Polymarket are "preferred," not sole, counterparties.
Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA's head of media distribution and partnerships, said in a statement that the league wants to "work constructively with regulators and operators." No CFTC official is named in the public summaries, and CFTC Chairman Michael Selig — who drove the earlier MLB and NHL deals — did not issue a separate statement with the NBA announcement, per CoinDesk.
Why it matters for the derivatives venues
Kalshi and Polymarket operate NBA single-game and season event contracts; both companies have stated they already require employment verification on sensitive markets to detect insider trading by league personnel. The MOU would route suspected integrity cases from the exchanges to the CFTC and, through the CFTC, to NBA security.
Prediction markets on sport games remain legally contested: a Ninth Circuit panel sided with Nevada earlier this year, finding Kalshi's sports event contracts function as sports betting under state law, and New Jersey has petitioned the Supreme Court on the same question. The MOU does not resolve those cases — it is a federal information-sharing instrument, not a licensing move.
The NFL stays out
The NFL has not signed a CFTC MOU and has publicly pushed for tougher federal rules on game integrity, consumer safety and insider trading. The league struck no prediction-market partnerships for the 2026 season, instead renewing conventional sports-betting partners.
What to watch
- Any CFTC press release or Federal Register notice disclosing the MOU text — none has been published as of writing.
- Whether Kalshi or Polymarket layer new NBA-specific KYC on top of their existing employment checks.
- The Supreme Court docket on New Jersey's petition over sports event contracts.
- Whether the NFL moves off its no-MOU posture before the Super Bowl.
Context
The MLB-CFTC MOU in March carried a Polymarket partnership reportedly worth up to $300M over four years, with five MLB teams signing separate Kalshi deals afterwards. The NHL deal that followed covers data access and integrity. The NBA agreement sits closer to the NHL template — information-sharing with the regulator — than the MLB-Polymarket commercial deal, though a separate commercial partnership between the NBA and the exchanges is not ruled out.