NFL calls on prediction market apps to ban 'objectionable bets'
With a week before the NFL season kicks off, the league is once again asking prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi to "prohibit offering objectionable bets that threaten the integrity of our games," according to a letter obtained by ABC News.
"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," according to the letter sent on Thursday from Sabrina Perel, the chief compliance officer at the NFL.
Such "objectionable bets" include those that are related to fan safety, player injuries such as who is "in and out" during a certain week and player misconduct, according to the letter.
Other sports-related event contracts the NFL is asking the services to limit are broadcast mentions and celebrity attendance, which the league says can be easily manipulated by one person.
Other contracts the NFL said are "easily manipulable by single person," include:
- Will a kicker miss a field goal?
- Will a quarterback's first pass be incomplete?
- Will a receiver’s first target be incomplete?
- Will a running back rush for fewer than X number of yards on 1st rushing attempt?
The league is also asking prediction markets to stop offering predictions on officiating, such as how many flags will be thrown.
"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," according to the letter.
The NFL previously sent a letter earlier this year outlining these concerns.
ABC News has reached out to Kalshi and Polymarket, the two biggest prediction markets.
The NFL's letter comes as more and more sports leagues are embracing apps like Kalshi, which just became the official prediction app of nine MLB teams.
At the same time, the prediction markets are also the subject of a nationwide legal battle, with several states seeking to ban or regulate them over allegations they offer unlicensed gambling.
