NBA Announces Partnerships With Three Prediction Platforms

The NBA’s concerns about sports prediction markets appear to have eased as the industry has responded.

The pro basketball league has announced that Kalshi, Polymarket, and DraftKings will be its first official prediction partners. The news came as the NBA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which covers all NBA-related contracts. 

“I’m pleased the CFTC and NBA signed an MOU which continues the Commission’s commitment to increasing data sharing between the agency and professional sports leagues,” CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig shared in a press release. “The NBA joins the MLB and NHL in taking a responsible step toward protecting sports integrity and market participants from abuses in prediction markets like insider trading and fraud. I thank NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for putting the integrity of professional basketball and America’s financial markets first and for working with the CFTC on this MOU.”

Despite earlier concerns about sports prediction markets, the NBA has become the third major US pro league to embrace the industry.

The deal is a major win for the prediction industry and the CFTC, which has worked hard to improve regulations and practices around it. After initially rejecting 

While public opinion and state opposition remain significant concerns, the NBA deal shows those efforts are paying off.

Massive Win for DraftKings

While celebrity-laden Polymarket and Kalshi ads have flooded the airwaves, DraftKings has struggled to keep up.

DraftKings Predictions reviews have been very positive, but it is struggling to capture market share with its sports contracts. The NBA deal could help change that by reminding the league’s massive fanbase that its platform is available where its sportsbook isn’t. 

It also provides the Massachusetts-based operator an edge over its sportsbook rivals FanDuel and Fanatics, which have launched their own platforms. They matched DraftKings by massively expanding their availability over the summer, but have failed to land partnerships with any of the US major sports leagues.