NBA signs a CFTC pact and names Kalshi and Polymarket its preferred prediction markets, the third league to cut a deal as the NFL holds out

The National Basketball Association on Monday became the third major US league to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on prediction markets, and at the same time named Kalshi and Polymarket as its preferred exchanges. The league said the agreement with the regulator covers cooperation and information sharing so that markets on NBA events have appropriate oversight and integrity protections.

The commercial side is broad. Each exchange gets rights to NBA intellectual property, marketing and promotion across US media, and official league data from Sportradar to run and settle authorized markets. In return they accept restrictions on which markets may be offered, a ban on league and team personnel trading NBA event contracts, and obligations to share information about investigations and suspicious trading. The NBA also widened its DraftKings deal to cover prediction markets and said more partners will follow in the coming weeks.

"Protecting the integrity of the game is our top priority," said Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA's head of media distribution and partnerships.

The Block reported that MLB signed its CFTC pact in March and the NHL in May, while the NFL has pushed for tougher rules and, in a case where New Jersey has asked the Supreme Court to decide whether states or the CFTC regulate these contracts, filed a brief arguing that sports contracts are gambling for the states to oversee. What to watch: whether the court takes the case, and which leagues sign next.