The National Football League (NFL) is advocating for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to intensify its proposed regulations on sports prediction markets, emphasizing the need for enhanced measures to safeguard the integrity of the sport.

On June 10, the CFTC released a 267-page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), following preliminary feedback from major sports organizations, including the NFL, National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
NFL Advocates for Regulatory Revisions
In a detailed seven-page letter addressed to CFTC Chairman Michael Selig on July 27, Brendon Plack, Senior Vice President of NFL Public Policy and Government Affairs, expressed, “Although the Proposed Prediction Market Rulemaking includes several constructive suggestions, it requires bolstering in critical areas."
“It is disconcerting that further logical integrity and consumer protection measures outlined in the Previous League Comment Letter were not integrated.”
Concerns Over Player Props
Plack highlighted in his correspondence that prediction markets, particularly those revolving around player props and micro-markets, pose risks to game integrity. This includes markets based on player performance or officiating decisions.
Instead of outright banning these prediction markets, the NFL has urged the CFTC to prohibit contracts deemed susceptible to manipulation.
“These contracts comprise those easily influenced by an individual, are inherently questionable, rely on discretionary officiating choices, or can be anticipated prior to settlement,” Plack stated. “Players, officials, and coaches could potentially face threats and harassment stemming from these objectionable contracts.”
Requested Integrity Measures
“Knowable in Advance” contracts threaten game integrity, particularly those related to initial plays, coaching decisions, or personnel changes, he argued. The NFL called for the implementation of a pre-approval system for certain categories of contracts.
Furthermore, the NFL advocates for increasing the minimum trading age for federally regulated prediction markets to 21.
“As we noted in the Previous League Comment Letter, a significant majority of states that have legalized sports betting stipulate that participants be 21 years or older,” Plack emphasized in his letter. “We strongly recommend that the Commission enforce a minimum age requirement of 21 for participation in sports event contracts.”
Discussion on Minimum Age Requirements
Enhanced integrity monitoring is vital for prediction markets, Plack asserted—this would include suspicious wager tracking, cooperative investigative processes, reporting of unusual trading behaviors, and identity verification, which regulated sportsbooks have honed over the years. A league-specific prohibited bettors list should also be created.
Plack's letter from July 27 builds on a prior correspondence to the CFTC in May, reiterating requests for specific football contracts to be banned from prediction markets and endorsing the minimum age increase to 21.
This critique from the NFL arises while professional sports leagues such as MLB and the NHL seek to engage with prediction markets and develop marketing collaborations.
Collaborations in Prediction Markets
While the NFL and NBA have not yet formed such partnerships, discussions are underway between the NBA and prediction market firms like Polymarket regarding a potential marketing and official data/licensing collaboration, contingent on adequate regulatory oversight and integrity measures.
“As previously mentioned in the Earlier League Comment Letter, the NFL alongside other sports leagues must have a defined process to request an emergency review and suspension of any sports event contract or category of contracts, upon submitting credible evidence of actual or potential integrity breaches,” Plack noted in his correspondence.
He added that specific markets should be temporarily suspended during the review process.