The National Football League is calling on the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to tighten regulations around sports prediction contracts, emphasizing the need for stronger protections to preserve game integrity and safeguard consumers.
In a letter dated July 27 and obtained by The Closing Line, the NFL argued that the current CFTC draft framework, while helpful, doesn’t adequately address risks related to contracts tied to sports events. The league specifically highlighted contracts vulnerable to manipulation, insider information, or outcomes influenced by referees or early knowledge.
The NFL also urged the regulator to narrow the definition of permissible contracts to clearly separate legitimate event contracts from gambling activities. They criticized the proposed 10-day review period for new self-certified contracts as too short, potentially leaving risky contracts active before proper regulatory assessment.
also the league raised concerns over awards-based contracts, questioning why markets on honors decided by voting panels, like “Offensive Player of the Year,” should be permitted.
On market fairness, the NFL stressed the need for clear rules against using material non-public information and recommended implementing league-specific banned bettor lists instead of letting platforms set their own restrictions. This move aims to better protect both the integrity of the games and the participants in prediction markets.
