Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley confirmed the National Football League (NFL) forced him to sell equity in prediction market operator Polymarket, claiming a portion of the league’s sports betting policies extend to event contract trading.
When discussing his potential role as an equity investor in Polymarket, Barkley claimed “I am not in that right now,” and confirmed “I am not allowed to be in that,” due to NFL policy.
Providing an even simpler answer to whether he remains involved with prediction markets, Barkley stated: "I was in it before, but no bueno.”
The NFL forbids its players from investing in or promoting sports betting operators and evidently extended such restrictions to prediction market entities.
The Eagles running back shared that the league briefs every player on rules related to investments, endorsements and other off-field activities prior to the start of each NFL season. According to Barkley, prediction markets were made part of such discussions before the season began on September 9.
Prediction markets have yet to find their way into the NFL stratosphere, while the league even went as far as to argue to the US Supreme Court that event contract trading is “a job better left to the states” on October 8.
Despite arguing that the sports event contracts offered by the likes of Kalshi and Polymarket are effectively gambling, the NFL still claims it remains open to the existence of prediction markets in betting culture.
Global Gaming Insider previously analyzed the NFL’s stance on prediction markets, as well as its cautious approach to the industry compared to leagues such as Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League.
On October 22, BetMGM renewed its partnership with the NFL in Canada, maintaining its status as an Official Sports Betting Partner of the US professional football league for an additional year.
The one-year extension builds on a relationship that originally began in 2022 and covers sports betting across digital and retail channels in Ontario and Alberta.
The NFL agreed to a multi-year partnership with UK operator Midnite on October 9, naming the organization as its official sports betting partner in the UK and Ireland through March 2029
