The NFL announced three sports-betting partners on Thursday, but you won’t see any prediction-market deals when the regular season kicks off in two weeks.
For months behind the scenes, the league has been holding talks with companies including Kalshi and Polymarket, as well as the CFTC. But it remains unready to get into business with prediction-market platforms, and there will be no deals in place when the regular season begins, sources tell Front Office Sports.
“I don’t see a scenario where the NFL is ready by the start of the season,” one prediction-market industry source tells FOS. “I would be incredibly shocked if anything at all happens this season.”
“Nothing has changed in regard to prediction-market partnerships,” says a source familiar with the NFL’s thinking.
The league has been lobbying the CFTC to “adopt regulations that mirror game integrity and consumer protections in legalized sports betting,” the source says. In July, the NFL said the CFTC’s prediction-market rule proposal falls “significantly short” in addressing risks around integrity, consumer protection, and market manipulation.
