NBA signs Kalshi and Polymarket deals, extends CFTC framework
The NBA has struck prediction market agreements with Kalshi and Polymarket and reached an understanding with the CFTC, leaving the NFL as the only major US league without a deal.
The National Basketball Association has agreed terms with prediction market operators Kalshi and Polymarket, according to SBC News, marking its first substantial move into the sector.
The agreements, announced this week, establish what SBC News described as a comprehensive framework for NBA-related prediction markets. They also extend the league's existing relationship with DraftKings to cover sports trading alongside its established sportsbook product. DraftKings was the second operator to launch a prediction markets offering, having done so in December last year.
Alongside the operator deals, the NBA has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission intended to safeguard integrity across the new arrangements.
The move follows comparable deals already struck by other North American leagues. The National Hockey League signed with Kalshi and Polymarket in October 2025, while Major League Soccer agreed terms with Polymarket in January 2026. That leaves the National Football League as the only major US league yet to sign with a prediction markets operator, though the NFL has continued to expand its ties with traditional gambling companies, including a recent partnership with Midnite covering the UK and Ireland.
The shift represents a change of tone for the NBA, which last year warned that prediction markets carried what it called "significant integrity risks." That earlier caution appears to have shaped the terms of the new MOU, which requires surveillance data sharing and regulatory cooperation between the league, the operators and the CFTC to investigate suspicious trading activity.
The framework also sets explicit limits on the types of event contracts permitted. Player prop markets tied to individual performance or injuries are restricted, a measure aimed at preventing manipulation and harassment directed at athletes.
Kalshi and Polymarket will gain marketing and promotional rights across US media channels under the deal, along with access to official NBA branding and intellectual property. The agreements make the pair the league's preferred prediction market exchanges. SBC News reported that FanDuel and other predictions platforms are expected to sign or extend their own arrangements with the NBA in the near future.
The announcement follows separate sponsorship deals between Polymarket, Kalshi and NBA stars LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Not every prominent player has taken the same view: Victor Wembanyama has said he will not partner with or endorse sports betting or prediction market companies.
Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA's Head of Media Distribution and Partnerships, said protecting the integrity of the game remained the league's 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," he said, adding that the partnerships were "an important step in establishing a framework that creates new opportunities to engage our fans."