NBA Submits Wish List To Federal Regulators Concerning Prediction Markets; Joined By PGA Tour, Players' Unions
Three days after the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told Bookies.com it was in consultation with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission about prediction markets, the NBA submitted a letter to federal regulators outlining its wishes. Thursday was the deadline to submit comments to the CFTC's proposed rules for sports-related prediction market trades. The PGA Tour and a group representing the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA & MLS players' unions joined the NBA in filing comments Thursday.
All three pushed hard for comprehensive integrity protections in the rapidly growing sports prediction market space, and the NBA led the charge.
"I'm encouraged by what we're hearing from the CFTC, as the way they're looking at it. I think they want to get it right. They want to hear directly from the leagues about their concerns. So we've engaged directly with the CFTC right now," Silver said in a response to Bookies.com Monday during a meeting with the Associated Press Sports Editors in New York.
His main concern: "How little control we have right now over the types of bets that are placed on NBA and WNBA games."
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Silver Concerned About 'Unders' And 'Props'
NBA wants to control the markets offered by the likes of Kalshi or Polymarket U.S. on its games, in exchange for any marketing or data partnership.
"Particularly using sports betting terminology, the prop bets are placed on our game. It's not a secret that we're more concerned about the unders, which are a much easier bet to manipulate than wins and losses, or overs," Silver said. "We think there should be certain common-sense agreements on where leagues could potentially be most vulnerable. And I know that's a concern shared by other leagues as well."
Having one body regulate gaming would be an improvement over the current state of affairs for Silver.
"From Day One, I was in favor of some form of federalized regulation. I never thought it would come from the CFTC. This is not what I ever imagined... We're now dealing with essentially 40 separate jurisdictions in the U.S. that have legalized sports betting. It's a myriad of rules and regulations that we need to follow," Silver said. "And without even a consistent national database when there is wrongdoing, people can jump from state to state. It's left for us to sort of try to collect that information and oversee bad behavior out there."
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The NBA's Wide-Ranging Demands
Dan Spillane, the NBA's Executive Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, filed a detailed four-page letter. His letter echoes Silver's demand that the league owns final say on all markets and the data that determines the outcome. League integrity standards should be a formal regulatory requirement before any new market launches.
The NBA's top ask: ban players, coaches, referees, and other league and team personnel from trading contracts tied to their own games. Operators like Kalshi and Polymarket U.S. (considered Designated Contract Markets - or DCMs - by the CFTC) would be required to actively block these individuals using league-provided lists.
The NBA calls out blockchain-based prediction markets specifically as a serious vulnerability. Those decentralized platforms could allow anonymous trading that would undermine any blocking system.
DCMs would cooperate directly with NBA integrity investigations, sharing trader identities and transaction data when requested. On suspicious activity, the NBA demands immediate notification anytime a prohibited trader slips through or potentially manipulative patterns emerge.
The NBA wants proposition markets banned until appropriate safeguards are in place.
It called for outright bans on markets tied to:
- Officiating decisions
- Injuries
- Disciplinary actions
- Player transactions
- Fan behavior,
- G League games.
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The Players Unions: Put Athletes First
The NFLPA, MLBPA, NBPA, NHLPA, and MLSPA filed a joint letter that brings a very different perspective. Their focus remains on the harm sports wagering and prediction markets cause to those who actually play the games.
The unions paint a stark picture. Athletes and their families have faced escalating harassment and threats from gamblers, both online and in person. The letter notes that the children of players have been targeted. Multiple athletes have spoken publicly about the mental health toll. Their core argument: a bet is a bet, regardless of whether it's placed through a state-regulated sportsbook or a CFTC-regulated prediction market. Bad actors targeting players don't make that distinction.
The players' wish list includes bans on the following contracts and other items:
- "Negative Outcome" - Player penalized, commits a foul, or suffers an injury
- "Single Individual" - One player controls the outcome
- "Broadcast Mentions" - Based on a word - like "concussion" - spoken during a broadcast
- Athletes' health and biometric data in connection with prediction market activity
The unions said athletes under CFTC investigation must receive the same information at the same time as the league.
The unions also support an age limit of 21. They also want a publicly accessible list of those banned from participating in event contracts. And mandatory fan conduct policies at venues that prohibit prediction market-related harassment.
The PGA Tour: Keep it Clean and Official
Andy Levinson, the PGA Tour's SVP of Tournament Administration, filed a concise but pointed letter. I highlight the particular vulnerabilities golf faces. Tournaments unfold over four days, creating far more trading windows. That amplifies integrity risks considerably.
The Tour's primary technical ask is that all golf event contracts be settled using official league data. And with rules set in advance.
The Common Thread
Despite coming from very different vantage points, all three submissions converge on several core demands. They are: robust KYC requirements, a minimum age of 21, league control over permitted market types, bans on the most manipulation-prone contracts, and meaningful cooperation between prediction market operators and sports governing bodies. The CFTC's rulemaking process remains in its early stages, but the sports world is speaking with an unusually unified voice.
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