The National Football League has called on the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission to tighten rules for prediction markets, arguing that the proposed regulatory framework fails to address manipulation, insider trading and consumer protection.
In a 27 July letter, NFL Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs Brendon Plack said the draft rules 'fall significantly short' of protecting the integrity of sporting events. The league wants contracts banned outright if they can be manipulated by a single person or depend on injuries, referee decisions, violations and other negative outcomes. The NFL also opposes markets on information that may be known in advance: coin tosses, roster decisions, coaching appointments, player trades and draft picks.
For contracts on player performance, the league proposed a pre-approval procedure allowing sports organisations to raise objections before trading begins. The NFL criticised the CFTC's proposed 10-day review window for new contracts. One major platform saw average monthly contracts grow from 1,600 in April 2025 to 162,000 in April 2026. By May 2026, over 8,000 distinct contracts were trading across 25 venues.
Other demands include raising the minimum age to 21 (currently 18 on Kalshi and Polymarket), a centralised self-exclusion system, deposit and loss limits, and restrictions on advertising and margin trading. The NFL has partnerships with legal sportsbooks in the US but does not work with prediction markets. MLB and NHL have signed such deals, and NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo became an investor in Kalshi.
The letter followed the indefinite suspension of Arizona Cardinals executive Ryan Gold, who shared confidential 2026 draft information and bet on the team's pick before the public announcement.
