NBA names Kalshi, Polymarket preferred markets, signs CFTC integrity MOU
- The NBA named Kalshi and Polymarket as its preferred prediction markets and signed an information-sharing MOU with the CFTC on Monday, both aimed at protecting the integrity of trading on league games.
- The agreement adds guardrails such as limits on offered contracts, suspicious-activity reporting, and a trading ban on league personnel.
- They also pull a fast-growing corner of sports trading under regulated oversight while the NBA faces active federal gambling investigations.
The NBA sees Kalshi and Polymarket as its “preferred” prediction markets and has signed a memorandum of understanding with the CFTC to ensure all trading tied to its games are regulated, the league and the regulator have jointly announced.
Two deals on the same day
The announcements pair a commercial arrangement with a regulatory one. On the commercial side, Kalshi and Polymarket become the NBA’s main platforms for prediction market contracts on league events.
Additionally, the NBA and the CFTC have agreed to share information and hold regular talks to help protect the integrity of basketball-related markets.
CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig said the agreement is part of the agency’s growing work with sports leagues. The NBA joins the NHL and Major League Baseball in these efforts to protect users from any forms of insider trading, fraud and other forms of prediction markets abuse. Selig also thanked NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for working with the agency.
What the rules are designed to prevent
The deals also come with rules. Yahoo Sports, citing the Associated Press, reported that the NBA will limit the types of contracts Kalshi and Polymarket can offer on its games. NBA and team staff are also not allowed to trade on league games, while the platforms are mandated to report suspicious activity. Both platforms must also share information during investigations into suspicious trading.
Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA’s head of media distribution and partnerships, said it was better to bring these activities under regulation than leave them unregulated. “If you’re going to be betting on our games or trading on our games or playing fantasy around our games, it’s better for it to be regulated than unregulated,” he told the Associated Press.
The NBA said it already works with sportsbook partners to spot unusual betting activity and has noted suspicious patterns via this partnership in the past.
A pattern of CFTC-league agreements
The NBA is the third major sports league to sign an agreement with the CFTC this year. Major League Baseball was the first, signing a deal on March 19, 2026. This deal was described by the CFTC as its first agreement of its kind with a professional sports league.
The agreement allows both sides to share information and work together on contracts linked to baseball.
The NHL signed its agreement on May 21, 2026. Both sides named representatives to discuss integrity issues and share information privately. The NBA had also contacted the CFTC before this week’s deal.
In a letter dated May 1, 2025, to then-Acting Chairman Caroline D. Pham, NBA vice president and assistant general counsel Alexandra Roth said protecting the sport’s integrity was the league’s top priority.
Past gambling cases
The timing of the deal coincides with federal investigators increasing efforts to look into gambling cases involving current and former NBA players. Former NBA guard Malik Beasley is reportedly in talks with the Department of Justice about a possible plea deal over an alleged scheme linked to his play during the 2023-24 season, Yahoo Sports reported.
The NBA is also dealing with the fallout from the investigation that led to Terry Rozier’s arrest on October 23, 2025.
The signed MOU itself focuses on sharing information and keeping in regular contact, rather than giving the CFTC new enforcement powers. The aim for both sides is to keep markets linked to professional basketball fair and transparent.
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Opeyemi Olanrewaju
Opeyemi specializes in creating and refining high-quality content focused on cryptocurrency, global financial markets and the economy. He graduated from the University of Ibadan with an MBBS degree. He has worked as Editor-in-Chief for his College’s editorial publication and previously at CFA. For over six years, he has helped safeguard uniqueness as news editor at Cryptopolitan.
