The National Basketball Association (NBA) has entered into partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket, two leading prediction market platforms, to launch official event contracts tied to NBA games. The league announced the agreements on April 29, 2026, emphasizing integrity protections as a core priority.
Polymarket and Kalshi have each been selected by the NBA to facilitate contracts related to NBA events, including playoff outcomes and season milestones. The platforms will implement specific integrity measures, such as restrictions on certain types of event contracts and mandatory reporting of suspicious trading activity. The NBA also signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to share information and maintain oversight of the markets.
The CFTC has asserted federal jurisdiction over prediction markets, classifying event contracts as derivatives subject to its regulation. However, the legality of these contracts remains contested. Multiple states argue that event contracts function as sports betting and should fall under their regulatory authority, while platforms and the CFTC maintain that federal oversight is appropriate. Courts have issued conflicting rulings on the issue, creating uncertainty for the industry.
The NBA’s move follows similar partnerships by other major sports leagues. The NHL announced collaborations with Kalshi and Polymarket in October 2025, and Major League Baseball (MLB) partnered with Polymarket in March 2026. These deals reflect the rapid growth of prediction markets, particularly in sports-related offerings, which have expanded significantly over the past year.
Polymarket and Kalshi have faced scrutiny beyond sports, including investigations into election-related betting. Polymarket’s head of global intelligence and investigations, Shana Bautista, a former FBI official, confirmed that the company has investigated dozens of election-related cases on its platform. At least two of these cases have been referred to the CFTC, according to a source familiar with the probes. Bautista emphasized that trading on insider information violates the platforms’ terms of use and U.S. law, stating, “If you decide that you are smarter and can do it, we will find you.”
The partnerships with the NBA come as prediction markets expand into new domains, including politics and sports. While the league and platforms highlight integrity safeguards, critics argue that the risks to democratic processes and sports integrity remain unresolved. The CFTC’s role in overseeing these markets continues to be a point of contention, with states and industry stakeholders divided over regulatory authority.