The National Football League (NFL) has called on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to introduce stricter regulations, including age-limit, for sports-related prediction markets, citing growing concerns about game integrity, consumer protection, and market manipulation as the industry expands rapidly.
In a letter sent Friday to CFTC Chairman Michael Selig, as reviewed by CNBC, the NFL outlined several recommendations designed to strengthen oversight of sports prediction markets and limit contracts the league believes could threaten the integrity of professional sports.
NFL Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy Brendon Plack said the proposals are intended to safeguard sporting events and reduce the risk of fraudulent activity within the rapidly growing prediction market sector. “These suggestions are aimed at protecting the integrity of the sporting events to which the prediction contracts relate, and protecting participants in these prediction markets from fraudulent or manipulative behaviour,” Plack wrote, as quoted by CNBC.
NFL calls for ban on manipulative sports event contracts
Among the NFL’s biggest concerns are sports event contracts that could be easily manipulated by a single player or individual. The league specifically identified contracts tied to highly specific in-game outcomes, including:
- Whether a kicker misses a field goal
- Whether a quarterback’s first pass is incomplete
- The first play of a game
- Injury-related betting events
The NFL argued these types of sports prediction market contracts create unnecessary integrity risks because outcomes may be “knowable in advance” or vulnerable to manipulation. The league also urged regulators to prohibit so-called “mentions contracts,” where users wager on words or phrases spoken by broadcasters during live television coverage.
NFL wants minimum age raised to 21
Another major recommendation is to raise the legal participation age for sports-related prediction markets from 18 to 21. Prediction market platforms currently allow users aged 18 and older to trade on sports outcomes.
However, the NFL said the minimum age should align with online sports betting regulations already enforced in many US states. The NFL’s proposal reflects broader concerns over youth participation in speculative sports trading and gambling-adjacent platforms.
NFL pushes for state-level gambling standards
The NFL mentioned state gambling rules as a guide for managing sports prediction markets in the letter. The league suggested that the National Futures Association work with state gaming regulators to improve monitoring, share data, and enforce rules. The aim would be to spot banned participants and lower the risks of insider trading linked to sports-event contracts.
The league also suggested establishing formal agreements between prediction market platforms and sports governing bodies to maintain lists of banned participants, including league employees and insiders.
The NFL's prediction-market ask is getting specific.
— PredictionMarkets.us (@USPredict) May 16, 2026
CNBC reports the league sent CFTC Chair Michael Selig a letter asking regulators to restrict sports event contracts it says are:
• easily manipulable by one person
• knowable in advance
• tied to injuries
• tied to…
The NFL had previously warned Congress about the rapid expansion of prediction markets last year. NBA warned that sports-related prediction markets pose serious integrity and consumer protection risks, particularly because such products are being offered nationwide, including in states where traditional sports betting remains illegal.
In written testimony submitted on 11 December to the House Committee on Agriculture, the league said it was “particularly troubled” by sports futures contracts that fall outside state gambling oversight. The hearing focused on whether prediction markets should continue to be regulated at the federal level by CFTC.
CFTC and states clash over prediction market oversight
The growing legal clash between the CFTC and several US states over sports prediction markets is ongoing for a while. States argue that sports-related prediction contracts fall under sports betting laws and should be regulated by the states. The CFTC, however, maintains that these contracts qualify as financial swaps and are subject to federal oversight.
CFTC Chairman Michael Selig recently emphasised that sports prediction markets differ from traditional sportsbooks, describing them as “two separate things.”
NFL seeks tougher approval process for sports contracts
The NFL also called for a dedicated certification process for sports contracts tied to individual player performance or events susceptible to manipulation. Currently, many prediction market contracts are self-certified by prediction market platforms themselves. The league believes stronger federal review is necessary to ensure integrity and consumer protection. Additionally, the NFL urged regulators to ban margin trading on sports prediction platforms. Margin trading allows users to trade with borrowed funds, increasing financial risks for participants.
The rapid growth of sports prediction markets is also impacting the broader online betting industry. Major sportsbook operators, including DraftKings and Flutter Entertainment, have reportedly faced stock pressure as prediction market platforms continue gaining traction among sports traders and bettors.
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