NBA enters partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket — CNBC
In the United States, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has named Kalshi and Polymarket as preferred prediction market exchanges. Under the agreements, the companies will receive rights to use NBA intellectual property, as well as marketing and licensing rights, CNBC reports.
Restrictions on contracts
The league said the agreements include substantial measures to protect the integrity of competitions. In particular, the exchanges will limit the types of contracts available in NBA-related markets and comply with requirements to share information about suspicious transactions.
Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA's head of media distribution and partnerships, said protecting the integrity of the game is the league's top priority. According to him, the partnerships are intended to create a framework for new ways for fans to engage with competitions.
Memorandum with the regulator
At the same time, the NBA signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The document provides for information sharing to maintain the integrity of both basketball competitions and the event contracts market.
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The CFTC considers prediction markets to fall within its regulatory remit. The platforms and the commission argue that event contracts are swaps — a type of financial derivative — and should therefore be regulated at the federal level.
Regulatory dispute
At the same time, U.S. states dispute this approach, saying that such offerings are effectively sports betting and should be controlled at the state level. Courts in the country have issued conflicting rulings on the matter, and CNBC notes that a final resolution of the dispute may require a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The NBA has become another major U.S. sports league to work directly with prediction markets. The National Hockey League announced partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket in October 2025, while Major League Baseball announced a deal with Polymarket in March. The NFL, according to CNBC, remains without such a partnership.
