NBA strikes prediction-market pacts with Kalshi, Polymarket and DraftKings
Agreements set market limits, bar league/team staff trading and require integrity data sharing
Key Takeaways
- The NBA agreed on 26 October 2026 partnerships with Kalshi, Polymarket and DraftKings that limit available contracts and prohibit league and team staff from trading NBA-related contracts.
- Kalshi and Polymarket were designated the NBA’s “Preferred Prediction Market Exchanges”; DraftKings will operate its prediction-market platform as an authorised operator.
- The agreements require operators to share integrity data, report suspicious trading and cooperate on investigations, and give Kalshi access to official NBA basketball data.
- The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission signed a memorandum of understanding with the NBA the same day to help protect professional basketball’s integrity in prediction markets.
The NBA struck prediction-market partnerships with Kalshi, Polymarket and DraftKings on 26 October 2026, setting limits on available contracts and barring league and team staff from trading contracts tied to NBA events. Kalshi and Polymarket were named the NBA’s “Preferred Prediction Market Exchanges,” while DraftKings expanded its existing relationship to operate its prediction-market platform as an authorised operator.
Scope and limits of the agreements
The agreements announced on Monday place market restrictions at the centre of the deal. In addition to bans on league and team staff trading NBA-related contracts, the partnerships require the sharing of information about suspicious activity and investigations among the parties. Kalshi will also receive access to official NBA data for its basketball markets.
The exchange said both parties “will establish direct channels to share integrity data, report suspicious trading, and cooperate on investigations.” Each authorised prediction-market operator must accept enhanced integrity obligations and market limits aligned with the NBA’s latest sports-betting restrictions.
Relation to other leagues and the near term
The NBA joins Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League (NHL) in forging official partnerships with prediction markets. The press statements indicate that more agreements could be announced in the coming weeks and that the league plans to broaden relationships with other official sports-betting partners and additional companies.
Regulatory framework: CFTC and safeguards
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the NBA signed a memorandum of understanding on the same Monday that the agency described as “intended to protect the integrity of professional basketball in prediction markets.” The partnerships create commercial relationships and safeguards, but they do not resolve the legal challenges currently facing prediction markets in the United States.
“Protecting the integrity of the game is our top priority,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, head of media distribution and partnerships for the NBA.
“As this category develops, we believe it is important to work constructively with regulators and operators to help ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These partnerships represent an important step in establishing a framework that creates new opportunities to engage our fans.”
The agreements give the league greater influence in a category it previously viewed with caution; in an earlier filing with the CFTC the NBA said that “with respect to new markets in particular, we continue to believe leagues are best positioned to determine which markets present disproportionate integrity risks or are susceptible to manipulation.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies reached partnerships with the NBA?
The NBA signed partnerships with Kalshi, Polymarket and DraftKings on 26 October 2026. Kalshi and Polymarket were named “Preferred Prediction Market Exchanges” and DraftKings expanded its role to operate its prediction-market platform as an authorised operator.
What restrictions did the agreements place on trading NBA contracts?
The agreements prohibit league and team personnel from trading contracts related to NBA events. They also require authorised operators to report suspicious activity, share investigative information with the league, and accept enhanced integrity obligations and market limits.
What role does the CFTC play in these arrangements?
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission signed a memorandum of understanding with the NBA on 26 October 2026, which the agency said is intended to protect the integrity of professional basketball in prediction markets and establishes a shared integrity framework between the CFTC and the NBA.
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About the author
Renata Quiroga
Betting Markets Correspondent
Renata Quiroga covers sports betting and prediction markets — sportsbook launches, odds technology, event contracts, and the regulatory calls that decide what can be bet on and where. The reports open with the product or the ruling, name operators and platforms precisely, and explain the mechanics without needless jargon. When a book enters a Latin American market or a prediction exchange lists a contested contract, Renata Quiroga reports what changes for the bettor.
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