NBA Urges CFTC to Tighten Restrictions on Sports Prediction Markets
nba-urges-cftc-to-tighten-restrictions-on-sports-prediction-markets
Washington, D.C., Apr. 30, 2026 — The National Basketball Association has asked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to adopt tougher rules governing prediction markets, arguing that unchecked trading by players, referees and team personnel could jeopardize game integrity and diminish fan confidence.
In a letter filed Thursday, Dan Spillane, the league’s executive vice president and assistant general counsel, likened the risks posed by prediction markets to those created by traditional sports betting. He urged the agency to implement “robust and comprehensive regulations” that would bar contract trading by anyone under 21 and strictly limit market participation by people directly involved in the sport.
Spillane pointed to markets linked to officiating decisions, player injuries and even fan behavior as especially vulnerable to manipulation. He also called for mandatory information-sharing between prediction platforms and sports leagues whenever suspicious activity arises.
The NBA’s request arrived as the CFTC weighed possible amendments to its prediction-market framework. The public comment window, opened Mar. 13, closed Thursday with nearly 1,500 submissions.
Prediction sites such as Kalshi and Polymarket currently allow U.S. users aged 18 or older to trade yes-or-no contracts on a wide range of events, including sports outcomes. While some leagues — among them Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and the UFC — have recently entered commercial agreements with these firms, the NBA said its priority remains safeguarding competitive integrity rather than forming partnerships.
Spillane emphasized that the league is taking no position on the ongoing jurisdictional dispute between several states and the CFTC over who should regulate prediction markets, but maintained that any legal marketplace must include tight controls and close cooperation with sports organizations.
Source: ESPN
