Have US sports leagues begun to select ‘yes’ on prediction markets?

While prediction market operators first gained recognition through the 2024 US Presidential Election, a significant moment in the industry’s history was marked toward the conclusion of 2025. One which has only continued building momentum in the months since. 

In October, Kalshi and Polymarket were named official partners of the National Hockey League (NHL), representing the first collaboration between a professional sports league and prediction market entities. The first push has seemingly generated a path in which the prediction market ball will endlessly roll, even on a bumpy slate of legal uncertainty surrounding the trading of sports event contracts. 

Will professional sporting leagues’ acceptance of a prediction markets future equate to greater support for operators, and how will the new collaborations affect sports partnerships held by the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel? Despite the lack of clarity around the regulation of event contract trading, it appears the vertical’s future in sports has become more predictable over the past few months. 

Polymarket spreads its wings, NBA potentially on the horizon 

Following its agreement with the NHL, Polymarket would go on to become the official prediction markets partner of various professional sports leagues, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Major League Baseball (MLB) and Major League Soccer (MLS). 

Notably, MLB could terminate the partnership if courts determine Polymarket’s offering to be in violation of state laws, although Commissioner Rob Manfred stated prediction markets’ “federal regulatory scheme makes our life a lot easier as opposed to sports betting.” The UFC was the first to follow in the NHL’s footsteps, naming Polymarket as its official prediction markets partner in November 2025. 

While Manfred may want to take a stab at selling his confidence in prediction market regulations to state lawmakers, his feelings could echo the sentiment currently felt by professional sports leagues in the US. As eager as prediction market operators were to break ground in the industry, so too are professional sports leagues with collaboration, even if it means taking a side in the never-ending regulatory battle. 

Leagues may argue that if prediction markets are deemed illegal in the US, they would then immediately move to conclude their partnerships with respective operators. However, working with said operators places US sports leagues in the same boat as Kalshi and Polymarket, where an “ask for forgiveness, not permission” approach could result in the similar scandals which have plagued organizations such as the MLB in recent times. 

Speaking of betting scandals, the National Basketball Association (NBA) appears next in line to collaborate with prediction market operators, having advanced discussions with Polymarket and Kalshi on April 16. Given the ongoing match-fixing case involving Terry Rozier and Damon Jones, partnering with Polymarket and Kalshi would be a contentious move for the NBA, but one which evidently fits the path building across professional US sports. 

Could new collaborations spell trouble for DraftKings, FanDuel?

Perhaps the biggest hit taken by sports betting operators was not one delivered by prediction markets, but rather a loss delivered at the start of April 2026. For the first time in a half-decade, the National Football League (NFL) entered its new league year without an official sports betting partner, with DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars Sportsbook all choosing not to renew agreements with the league. 

What was once a $1bn partnership with the three operators came to an end due to major price increases for streaming data distributed through Genius Sports, of which the NFL currently maintains a near 9% ownership stake. While a theoretical door could have been opened for prediction market operators as a result, the NFL’s concerns over insider trading and betting manipulation have seemingly outweighed any desire to collaborate with potential partners. 

At the end of March, the NFL sent a letter to Kalshi and Polymarket to request both refrain from offering trades on “easily maniputable” events to help protect the league from "unfair and unwanted allegations" tied to gambling and prediction markets. To its credit, the NFL has done a quality job of avoiding any betting scandals since Calvin Ridley was suspended in 2022, which could steer the US’ most popular league away from perhaps the most controversial industry in gaming. NFL executives have also confirmed talks are ongoing with DraftKings and FanDuel, while Caesars’ enhanced focus on land-based operations grew its desire to conclude the partnership anyhow. 

Still, the acceptance shown by leagues such as the MLB and NHL could spell trouble for DraftKings and FanDuel, as challenging for screen time with Kalshi or Polymarket would not be ideal for two entities yet to fully push their own prediction market products. In FanDuel’s case especially, the competition stems while the operator transitions Christian Genetski into the role of CEO, having removed Amy Howe from the position on May 6. 

If both sports betting goliaths are about to see their presence reduced in the NFL, as well as the NBA, NHL and MLB, it begs the question for whether now is the time to advance the rollout of its own event contract trading capabilities. Flutter Entertainment – the parent company of FanDuel – repeatedly stated additional prediction market investment will come in the second half of 2026, while DraftKings confirmed the vertical remains a “massive incremental opportunity” on May 8. 

With no end in sight as to the growth witnessed by Kalshi and Polymarket, both operators may look to take DraftKings’ and FanDuel’s seats on the sports betting hierarchy, potentially altering the public’s opinion on prediction markets. 

Public may grow to support prediction markets, are international leagues to come?

As unimaginable as it may be to one day see residents of each state arguing to legalize prediction markets, so too was the original growth sought by the operators currently making headlines every day. It becomes even more plausible when one realizes their favorite sports broadcast will be littered with advertisements, odds and activations provided by Kalshi and Polymarket. 

Just as sports betting grew by forming partnerships with the most popular sporting leagues in the US, a similar plan of action will be carried out by prediction market entities looking to generate interest across the country. 

Coming off the UFC 328 event on May 9, it was impossible to watch the fight card without seeing Polymarket mentioned on the live broadcast or through advertisements run by the mixed martial arts organization. While UFC maintains its own high-level popularity in the US, Polymarket’s branding during the live event represents just a portion of the presence it can build through the MLB and NHL, or one day the NFL and NBA as well. 

Heading international is not out of the question for Polymarket or Kalshi either, as showcased when La Liga became the first-ever European soccer league to form a collaboration with Polymarket on April 6, naming the operator as its exclusive prediction market partner in the US and Canada.

While plans to enter Spain or fellow European countries were not discussed within Polymarket’s announcement, merging its North American audience with international markets could bridge the gap to doing so in the near future. Just as it faces in the US, though, regulatory hurdles will await the operator, although facing potential legal issues has failed to stop either Polymarket or Kalshi from generating multi-billion-dollar valuations. 

The acceptance of prediction markets by professional sports leagues in the US marks yet another step in the vertical’s growth over the past 18 months, and one which could re-shape the sports betting landscape for years to come. Are Kalshi and Polymarket ready to take ownership of the industry mantle, or will DraftKings and FanDuel eventually come to defend their sports betting rank?