Saquon Barkley Says NFL Forced Him to Divest Polymarket Stake

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley says NFL rules forced him to sell his ownership stake in Polymarket, highlighting the league's restrictive approach to prediction markets as other professional sports organizations embrace the industry.

"I am not in that right now," Barkley told Front Office Sports in an Oct. 28 report. "I am not allowed to be in that."

The NFL confirmed that its prohibition on players investing in or endorsing sportsbooks also applies to prediction market apps. However, the league declined to comment specifically on Barkley's situation.

Barkley said players receive annual briefings on permissible investments and endorsements. His Polymarket stake was publicly disclosed in September 2025, although he did not specify when he divested.

NFL maintains prediction-market restrictions

The NFL already has commercial relationships with traditional sportsbooks, including DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics. Those partnerships do not extend to prediction-market promotions.

In September, NFL communications director Tim Schlittner confirmed that prediction-market advertising is prohibited during games, including stadium signage, club sponsorships and player endorsements.

"All prediction market advertising during NFL games is prohibited," Schlittner told Gambling Insider.

Even the league's authorized sportsbook partners cannot use NFL advertising opportunities to promote their prediction-market products. The restrictions reflect the NFL's position that sports event contracts should be subject to gambling oversight comparable to traditional sportsbooks.

They also limit the commercial opportunities available to active players, regardless of whether a prediction-market company holds federal regulatory authorization.

76ers take different approach with Kalshi

The contrast is particularly clear in Philadelphia.

On Oct. 30, the Philadelphia 76ers announced a multiyear partnership with Kalshi, becoming the first NBA franchise to sign an official prediction-market agreement.

The deal includes a digital poster series featuring Philadelphia artists and a fan competition called Beat the Pro, offering participants an opportunity to compete for $76,000 during an on-court event. It follows the NBA's Oct. 26 announcement naming Kalshi and Polymarket its Preferred Prediction Market Exchanges.

Those agreements provide official NBA data through Sportradar, marketing rights and promotional opportunities, alongside safeguards addressing suspicious trading and market manipulation.

The NBA also prohibits league and team personnel from trading contracts involving its games. The distinction is important: the NBA's commercial relationships do not give players or employees permission to trade using inside information.

NFL pushes for Supreme Court review

The NFL's opposition to prediction markets also extends to the courts.

In an Oct. 8 brief, the league urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review New Jersey's dispute with Kalshi over whether federal commodities law prevents states from enforcing their gambling regulations against sports event contracts.

The NFL argued that stronger safeguards are needed to address insider trading, suspicious activity, and contracts involving information known to players or team personnel before the public. Its concerns include markets involving player injuries, officiating decisions, and predetermined events, such as whether a game's opening play will be a run or pass.

Kalshi maintains that its contracts fall under federal oversight by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, while New Jersey argues that state gambling laws also apply.

The Supreme Court has not agreed to hear the case. On Oct. 30, the court granted Kalshi another extension, moving its deadline to respond to New Jersey's petition from Nov. 9 to Dec. 7.