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Polymarket Pulls NFL Player Availability Bets at CFTC Request, Kalshi Keeps Them

By jili tutorial · September 1, 2026

Polymarket Pulls NFL Player Availability Bets at CFTC Request, Kalshi Keeps Them Live

Polymarket has withdrawn its self-certification to offer player availability markets ahead of the upcoming NFL season. The move came after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) requested that the prediction market operator refrain from listing these contracts, which the agency views as contrary to its policy against trading on player injuries. In contrast, rival platform Kalshi continues to offer similar markets without interruption.

Polymarket Withdraws Self-Certification After CFTC Intervention

Polymarket submitted its self-certification to the CFTC on Tuesday of last week. The filing aimed to authorize markets in the format, “Will {participant} participate in {event}?” Initially, the contracts focused on Patrick Mahomes’ playing status for Week 1 of the NFL season. Mahomes is now expected to play after recovering from an ACL injury, with Kalshi currently giving him a 94% chance of featuring in the season opener.

However, the status of Polymarket’s filing has now been changed to “withdrawn.” A Polymarket spokesperson told ESPN that the company pulled the submission to remain in full compliance with the CFTC. This intervention marks one of the first times the CFTC has openly opposed a prediction market operator’s self-certified contracts.

The CFTC has faced criticism for allowing a wide range of sports markets, including player props and parlays, to be offered on platforms. However, it previously opposed similar offerings from Kalshi, specifically regarding markets on what sports commentators would say during live broadcasts. While Kalshi no longer offers those specific commentator markets, it maintains a broad selection of “mention markets” in other categories, such as those tied to Donald Trump’s speeches.

Kalshi Maintains Player Availability Markets Despite Scrutiny

The CFTC has reportedly spoken with one other major prediction market operator about listing player availability contracts, but Kalshi has continued to keep its markets live. Kalshi first self-certified its “Will [athlete] compete in [event]?” contract template back in February. Currently, it offers active markets on multiple players expected to participate in Week 1, including Mahomes and others dealing with injuries heading into the season.

Beyond the NFL, Kalshi also provides trading on when players will return from injury, such as Malik Nabers, and offers similar markets in other sports, including a market on when Carlos Alcaraz will next play in a tennis tournament. While liquidity on these contracts remains relatively low, gaming attorney Peter Hammon described them as a viable hedging tool for stakeholders like corporate sponsors and media rights holders.

CFTC Rules Explicitly Prohibit Player Injury Markets

Under its proposed rules, the CFTC states that markets directly related to player injuries are contrary to the public interest. The agency has warned that such contracts could “create perverse financial incentives that could encourage or facilitate physical harm to athletes.” Kalshi’s markets do not explicitly mention injuries, and the platform does not offer contracts on whether a player will be injured during a game. However, these markets do appear when users search the site for the term “injury.”

The markets also carry a high risk of insider trading, where privileged information could be used to bet on outcomes or shared with others. Kalshi’s rules on player participation markets prohibit trading by team or league staff and their immediate family members. Additionally, the rules state that “persons who hold any material, non-public information on the Underlying are not permitted to trade on the Contract.”

While traditional sportsbooks do not offer these types of markets, bettors have found indirect ways to effectively wager on the same outcomes. In a notable example, Terry Rozier allegedly informed gamblers that he would feign injury and exit a game early, enabling bettors to profit from wagers on his under props. Rozier denies the allegations. In a separate scandal, team insiders reportedly shared information about key players’ playing statuses ahead of NBA games, allowing gamblers to place bets before the lines adjusted after lineups became public. Kalshi’s markets offer a more direct way to bet on an athlete’s availability.

Kalshi did not respond when asked if it plans to continue offering these player participation markets.