NBA signs $0 new contracts with two prediction market firms
The league added Kalshi and Polymarket to its roster of betting partners on Monday, days after new indictments against high-profile players and coaches.
By Kenneth Adams ·
The NBA is betting on more betting.
League officials announced Monday that Kalshi and Polymarket are now preferred prediction market partners. The deal allows these firms to use official NBA data and intellectual property. The league also expanded its existing contract with DraftKings to include prediction markets. A memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission will govern how these relationships operate. The NBA said further expansions with other firms are coming soon.
This move arrives while the league faces multiple active integrity investigations. Jontay Porter pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy charges related to a gambling manipulation scheme. Malik Beasley is currently negotiating a plea deal for similar charges. Former player Terry Rozier and coach Chauncey Billups face indictments for allegedly rigging prop bets and poker games.
Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA head of media distribution and partnerships, stated that protecting the integrity of the game is the top priority. The new framework limits which markets are permissible. It also requires information sharing on suspicious trades and ongoing investigations.
These data sharing requirements address growing concerns about insider trading in prediction markets. New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing Kalshi and other firms. State officials are also investigating how DraftKings and other operators use AI to target gamblers likely to lose while restricting bets from winning players.
Source: The Verge
