Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley said NFL rules forced him to sell his ownership stake in prediction-market company Polymarket.
Barkley told Front Office Sports that he previously held equity in the company but divested after the league made clear that players cannot invest in or promote prediction-market operators.
“I am not in that right now,” Barkley said. “I am not allowed to be in that.”
Barkley said the NFL briefs players before each season on rules governing investments, endorsements and other off-field activities. Prediction markets were among the areas covered this year.
“So I kinda had to get out of that,” Barkley said.
The NFL confirmed Wednesday that its prohibition on players investing in or promoting sportsbooks also applies to prediction markets, though the league declined to discuss Barkley’s situation specifically. Polymarket also declined to comment, according to Front Office Sports.
Barkley’s investment in Polymarket became public last year as part of a portfolio that also included stakes in several technology startups.
The NFL has taken a more restrictive approach toward prediction markets than several other major professional leagues. The NHL, Major League Baseball and MLS have entered partnerships with Polymarket, while the NBA recently announced deals with Polymarket and Kalshi.
The NFL has argued that sports-event contracts offered by prediction markets should be subject to state regulation similar to that governing traditional sports wagering.
Earlier this month, the league asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider a case brought by the state of New Jersey that could determine whether federal commodities regulation or state gambling laws govern such markets.
Barkley offered a simpler assessment of his exit.
“I was in it before, but no bueno,” he said.
–Field Level Media
