NBA Secures Partnership Agreements with Kalshi and Polymarket

The NBA has finalized agreements naming Kalshi and Polymarket as the league's preferred prediction market platforms. This move is accompanied by a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to ensure robust regulatory oversight and integrity protections for NBA-related markets.

Under the new framework, the NBA maintains the right to approve or restrict specific types of offerings on these platforms. Participating exchanges are now required to share data related to suspicious trading patterns and implement strict policies, including a ban on league and team personnel participating in trades involving NBA events. These measures mirror existing guardrails the league maintains with its traditional sports betting partners.

NBA Head of Media Distribution Scott Kaufman-Ross noted that regulating these markets provides the league with better visibility and the ability to monitor activity. The shift comes as prediction markets face ongoing legal scrutiny regarding jurisdiction between federal and state regulators, with the NFL currently petitioning the Supreme Court for clarity.

As part of the multi-year deals, Kalshi and Polymarket gain access to official NBA intellectual property and statistical data provided by Sportradar. Financial details of the arrangements remain undisclosed.