NFL Tells CFTC Its Prediction Market Rules Do Not Go Far Enough

The NFL has sent a formal letter to the federal regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), arguing that the agency's proposed rules for sports prediction markets need substantial strengthening.  

The letter, first uncovered by gambling journalist Dustin Gouker, responds directly to the CFTC's recent rulemaking proposal covering event contracts tied to professional and college athletics. 

According to the league, protecting the integrity of its games is its top priority, and it believes the current draft leaves major gaps despite incorporating some suggestions from an earlier letter the NFL had submitted. The league says several commonsense protections it previously recommended were left out of the new proposal entirely. 

Among the league's specific requests are limits on prediction market apps' contracts tied to markets that could be manipulated by a single individual, such as those involving roster moves or personnel decisions. The NFL also wants the CFTC to shorten or restructure the current ten-day review window for new event contracts, arguing that integrity concerns are not always obvious when a contract is listed. 

The letter raises additional concerns about awards-based markets, saying contracts tied to honors like Offensive Player of the Year should still count as gaming activity because they are directly linked to on-field performance. The league also pushed for clearer rules addressing insider trading, including a request for centralized, cross-platform lists of individuals barred from participating in these markets. 

The NFL further asked the CFTC to raise the minimum trading age for sports event contracts from 18 to 21, aligning it with age requirements already common across regulated sports betting markets in most states. 

College sports face their own reckoning over prediction markets 

The NFL is not the only sports organization pressing federal regulators on this issue. The NCAA submitted written testimony to a US House subcommittee last week, arguing that the rapid and largely unchecked growth of prediction markets tied to college athletics poses a serious risk to both athletes and competitive integrity. 

The NCAA did not testify in person at the hearing, but its written submission asked lawmakers to require consultation with sports governing bodies before approving new college sports contracts. The organization also called for funding to support gambling education programs and stronger safeguards against harassment directed at student athletes by bettors upset over wagering losses. 

NCAA Chief Legal Officer Scott Bearby has separately said the organization has tracked more than 1,500 gambling-related abusive messages sent to student athletes since 2024, based on monitoring of social media activity connected to major events like March Madness. Bearby added that the most serious threats have been referred to campus officials and law enforcement, and he noted that harassment tied to gambling losses continues to increase. 

The NCAA has specifically asked the CFTC to pause approval of new college sports prediction markets until stronger protections are established, a position that follows NCAA President Charlie Baker's earlier call for an indefinite suspension of these offerings in college athletics.