The NFL on Thursday questioned whether the federal commission regulating prediction markets can adequately safeguard the integrity of professional football.
The league made the claim in an amicus, or friend of the court, brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting a request by the state of New Jersey that the justices decide whether federal law supersedes state regulations on prediction markets.
Attorneys general from 39 states and the District of Columbia also filed a brief in the case, ESPN reported.
Prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket closely resemble sportsbooks in what they offer bettors but operate as financial exchanges where participants buy and sell event contracts rather than place traditional bets. They are currently overseen by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
New Jersey, which led the push to expand legalized sports wagering more than a decade ago and now regulates a robust sportsbook market, is asking the court to resolve conflicting appeals court rulings on whether the state can enforce its gambling laws against Kalshi. The NFL is asking the court to quickly grant review. Week 5 of the 2026 season began Thursday with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visiting the Dallas Cowboys.
“Billions of dollars will be bet on NFL games through prediction markets each season, and any delay from the Court will result in increasing consumer harm and risk to game integrity,” the NFL wrote in its brief, according to ESPN.
The NFL previously warned the CFTC about prediction markets involving officiating decisions and outcomes that could be manipulated by an individual, according to ESPN. In its brief, the league cited limited staffing at the CFTC, which it claimed has 543 employees nationwide, far fewer than the combined resources of state regulatory agencies.
The CFTC told ESPN that it has been in contact with the NFL but the sides have not been able to reach an agreement on how to better work together.
An NFL source told ESPN that it would accept a federal regulatory framework for prediction markets if it took the same approach as state regulators.
Kalshi has a Nov. 9 deadline to respond in the case.
–Field Level Media
