NBA Signs Kalshi and Polymarket Deals Amid Gambling Scandals

The NBA has formalized new prediction market agreements with Kalshi and Polymarket, joining an existing deal with DraftKings. This expansion grants these platforms access to official league data and intellectual property. The league also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to manage these relationships.

The move follows a period of high-profile legal issues involving league personnel. Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy in 2024 over a gambling scheme. Malik Beasley is reportedly negotiating a plea deal on similar charges. Former player Terry Rozier and coach Chauncey Billups face indictments for allegedly rigging prop bets and poker games, respectively.

Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA’s head of media distribution and partnerships, stated that protecting game integrity is the league’s top priority. The new framework includes limits on permissible markets and requires information sharing on suspicious trades. The league says further expansions with other partners will be announced soon.

These partnerships come as regulators scrutinize the industry. New York Attorney General Letitia James and other state officials are suing Kalshi and competitors. Senators are investigating reports that sportsbooks use AI to target players likely to lose while restricting bets from winners. Prediction markets have also seen insider trading activity in unrelated sectors.

The NBA’s Top Shot NFT marketplace, a previous digital asset venture, saw sales drop to $762,781 last month. That figure represents a 99.66 percent decrease from the February 2021 peak of $226,350,843. The league is now shifting focus to live prediction markets as part of its media distribution strategy.