The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced a landmark set of agreements designed to establish a comprehensive framework for NBA-related prediction markets. The initiative features a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), alongside the formal designation of Kalshi and Polymarket as the league’s Preferred Prediction Market Exchanges.
The agreements incorporate rigorous integrity protections for NBA-related markets, establishing clear limitations on permissible contracts, enforcing strict prohibitions against league and team personnel trading NBA event contracts, and mandating information-sharing obligations to support investigations into suspicious trading activity.
Scott Kaufman-Ross, NBA Head of Media Distribution & Partnerships, underscored the importance of the initiative:
“Protecting the integrity of the game is our top priority. 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.”
CFTC cooperation and preferred exchange rights
The MOU between the NBA and the CFTC establishes a formal cooperative channel focused on information sharing and regulatory oversight for NBA-related prediction markets, reinforcing a shared commitment to market integrity.
As Preferred Prediction Market Exchanges, Kalshi and Polymarket receive official rights to utilize NBA intellectual property, marketing rights, and promotional activations across U.S. media channels. Furthermore, both platforms will gain access to official NBA data distributed via Sportradar, the league’s official data partner, to operate and settle authorized prediction markets.
Leadership from both platforms welcomed the collaboration. Adam Barrick, Head of Sports Partnerships at Kalshi, stated:
“Announcing our partnership with the NBA is a significant milestone. The relationship we’ve built together reflects a shared mindset that prioritizes fan engagement, innovation and safety. We believe in markets that are fair, safe, and open—it’s why millions of people are coming to Kalshi to trade with nationwide consumer protections.”
Ari Borod, President of Sports Business Development at Polymarket, added:
“The NBA is one of the most influential sports leagues in the world, and we’re excited to work together to bring fans closer to the game. This partnership will allow our customers to engage more deeply with the game of basketball on Polymarket. We look forward to partnering with the NBA on establishing a safe, transparent prediction market ecosystem for everyone.”
Broadening authorized operator relationships
In addition to the preferred exchange appointments, the NBA has expanded its existing relationship with DraftKings to encompass prediction markets and nationwide promotional activities. The league indicated plans to extend similar agreements with other official sports betting partners and industry stakeholders in the coming weeks. All Authorized Prediction Market Operator partnerships will be subject to enhanced integrity obligations and market restrictions aligned with the NBA’s latest sports betting compliance rules.
