Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy over a gambling and manipulation scheme in 2024. Terry Rozier, a former NBA player, is under indictment on charges of allegedly rigging prop bets, while Malik Beasley is reportedly negotiating a plea deal on similar charges and coach Chauncey Billups is under indictment on charges of allegedly taking part in rigged poker games.
Against that backdrop, the NBA on Monday, 26 October 2026 named Kalshi and Polymarket its preferred prediction-market exchanges. The multi-year agreements give both companies rights to use NBA intellectual property, marketing and licensing rights, and official NBA data supplied by Sportradar, the league’s Official Data Distribution Partner.
The league said its arrangements contain “significant integrity” protections, including limits on the event contracts that can be offered and requirements to share information about suspicious trades. NBA and team personnel will be barred from trading NBA event contracts.
At the same time, the NBA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC. The agreement covers limits on market types, the trading ban for league and team personnel, and information-sharing on suspicious trades and investigations.
Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA’s head of media distribution and partnerships, said protecting the game’s integrity was the league’s top priority. He described the partnerships as an important step towards a framework intended to create new ways for fans to engage with the sport.
CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig called the NBA agreement a responsible measure to protect sports integrity and participants in prediction markets from abuses including insider trading and fraud.
The partnerships place the NBA in a dispute over who should regulate markets tied to sporting events. States across the country contend that prediction-market offerings are sports betting and should fall under their authority.
In early October, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told CNBC’s Contessa Brewer that the league faced roughly 40 different jurisdictions regulating it. He said a consistent national policy would be in the NBA’s best interest.
The legal fights have continued. In September, the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Kalshi in a case involving Ohio and Tennessee. The US Supreme Court has also been asked to review a New Jersey dispute, with 39 states and Washington, DC, backing the petition.
On 20 October, Utah Attorney General Derek Brown sued Kalshi, alleging that it had facilitated illegal betting in the state since 2024. Utah officials are seeking an estimated $30 million to $60 million in profits they say Kalshi and other defendants earned.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is among the state attorneys general suing Kalshi and other companies.
Kalshi had sought closer engagement with the NFL, which did not participate.
The NBA said it had expanded its agreement with DraftKings to include prediction markets and nationwide promotion. It expects to announce similar arrangements with other industry operators in the coming weeks.
Adam Barrick, Kalshi’s head of sports partnerships, said the deal reflected a shared emphasis on fan engagement, innovation and safety. Ari Borod, Polymarket’s president of sports business development, said the company was excited to bring fans closer to a league he described as one of the world’s most influential.
The NHL announced a prediction-market partnership in October 2025, followed by MLB in March 2026.
Senators are investigating reports that say DraftKings and other companies use artificial intelligence to target gamblers who are more likely to lose while restricting bets from those who win.
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