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NFL Tells Prediction Markets to Remove ‘Objectionable Bets’ Ahead of Season

By jili tutorial · September 5, 2026

NFL Tells Prediction Markets to Remove ‘Objectionable Bets’ Ahead of Season

The National Football League has once again called on prediction market platforms to remove certain contracts it views as threats to game integrity, warning that exchanges continue to offer wagers the league flagged months ago.

In a September 3 letter sent ahead of the 2026 NFL season, Chief Compliance Officer Sabrina Perel reiterated the league’s March request for designated contract markets (DCMs) to stop offering contracts that could be easily manipulated, involve inherently objectionable subjects, relate to officiating, or concern information knowable in advance.

“It is deeply concerning that bets within the objectionable categories that we identified months ago have been and continue to be listed as contracts on exchanges,” Perel wrote.

Terminology Dispute: ‘Bets’ vs. ‘Event Contracts’

The NFL’s choice of language is notable. The league consistently refers to these products as “bets,” while prediction market operators argue they are federally regulated event contracts. This semantic divide reflects a broader disagreement over how these markets should be classified and regulated.

Protecting Game Integrity Remains Top Priority

The NFL stated that safeguarding the integrity of its games remains its highest priority and warned that such markets could create risks for players, coaches, and officials.

“Fans, players, coaches, officials and other NFL personnel deserve to know that we are doing everything possible to ensure no improper influences affect how our games are played and that we are taking all appropriate steps to protect fair competition,” the league said.

The NFL sent the letter to all registered DCMs—prediction market platforms—reiterating the specific categories of bets it objects to.

Categories the NFL Wants Removed

The league requested that DCMs refrain from offering contracts across four categories, which the NFL has long described as “objectionable bets”:

Easily Manipulated by a Single Person

These include contracts such as whether a kicker misses a field goal, whether a quarterback’s first pass is incomplete, whether a receiver’s first target is incomplete, or non-game-related markets like broadcast mentions.

Inherently Objectionable

This category covers player injuries and availability, fan safety, and player misconduct—subjects the league believes should never be wagered on.

Contracts involving penalties, officiating actions, replay results, and officiating assignments fall under this heading. The NFL argues these directly undermine trust in game outcomes.

Knowable in Advance

These include the first play of a game, starting lineups, player signings or trades, hiring and firing decisions, live draft selections, and coaching decisions. The league contends such information can be leaked or exploited.

“Continuing to list these objectionable contracts threatens the underlying integrity of our games and creates significant risks for our players, coaches, and officials, as well as for those participating on your exchanges,” Perel wrote. “It is imperative that DCMs take further action to remove any objectionable bets.”

Kalshi Has Already Pulled Some Markets Flagged by the NFL

The new letter arrives as Kalshi, a leading prediction market platform, has recently removed or sidelined markets that fall within categories highlighted by the NFL.

Earlier this week, Kalshi removed athlete injury and “player availability” markets from its app following a request from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The exchange had previously offered markets on whether injured players would participate in upcoming games, including NFL Week 1 contracts. Those offerings closely match the NFL’s objection to contracts involving “player injuries, including whether certain players will compete.”

Last month, Kalshi also temporarily stopped listing sports-related mention markets—another category the NFL has criticized.

However, Kalshi still offers some contracts that could fall within the league’s “objectionable bets” categories, particularly those considered “Knowable in Advance.” For example, the exchange currently has contracts on:

NFL Has Repeatedly Raised Prediction Market Concerns

The September 3 letter is the latest in a series of NFL efforts to restrict certain prediction-market contracts.

March 2024: The league sent an initial letter to prediction market operators asking them to avoid markets it viewed as easily manipulated or knowable in advance, including broadcast mentions, celebrity attendance, and draft-related contracts.

May 15: The NFL took those concerns to the CFTC, filing a comment letter urging the regulator to prohibit the same categories of “objectionable bets.” The league also called on the CFTC to create a pre-approval process for other sensitive contracts, including player props.

July 27: During the CFTC’s latest prediction-market comment period, the league followed up again, arguing that the proposed rules still “fall significantly short.” The NFL reiterated its call for categorical prohibitions on contracts that are easily manipulated, inherently objectionable, officiating-related, or knowable in advance.

The league also pushed for:

No Prediction Market Partnerships Yet

The NFL remains one of the major U.S. sports leagues without a prediction-market partnership. The NBA has similarly held out, although recent reports indicate that could change before its upcoming season.

By contrast, the NFL recently renewed agreements with DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics. As part of those sportsbook partnerships, the operators agreed to work with the league to restrict wagers involving the same broad categories the NFL is now asking prediction markets to remove.

The ongoing tension between the NFL and prediction markets highlights the regulatory gray area these platforms occupy—and suggests the debate over where to draw the line on sports-related event contracts is far from settled.