The National Football League (NFL) has reached out to operators of prediction markets, including Kalshi and Polymarket, urging them to cease offering certain contracts linked to NFL games. This communication, which was acquired by ABC News, was dispatched on Thursday, just one week ahead of the 2026 regular season kickoff.
Sabrina Perel, the NFL's Chief Compliance Officer, penned the letter, which reiterates concerns previously expressed in an earlier correspondence this year. Perel pointed out that several categories of contracts deemed objectionable months ago are still being made available on various exchanges.
The league has highlighted several contract categories it finds troubling, such as those related to fan safety, the status of player injuries—like whether a player will be active in a given week—and instances of player misconduct.
Furthermore, the NFL requested that platforms restrict contracts associated with broadcast mentions and celebrity appearances at games, arguing that these outcomes can be swayed by individual actions.
Specific contract types flagged by the NFL as susceptible to manipulation include bets on whether a kicker will miss a field goal, if a quarterback's first pass attempt will be incomplete, whether a receiver's first target will miss, and if a running back will gain fewer than a designated number of yards on his initial carry.
Additionally, the league has called for operators to discontinue contracts related to officiating decisions, including the total number of penalty flags thrown during a game.
Perel's letter emphasized that continuing to offer these types of contracts poses risks not only to competitive integrity but also to the individuals involved in the games. She stated that such listings jeopardize the foundational integrity of NFL games and create significant risks for players, coaches, officials, and those participating in the exchanges.
This marks the NFL's second formal request regarding this issue in 2026, following a spring letter that outlined similar concerns.
The timing of this letter coincides with prediction markets strengthening their connections with professional sports leagues. Recently, Kalshi became the official prediction market partner for nine Major League Baseball teams.
In a related note, prediction markets are facing ongoing legal hurdles, with several states taking action to limit or regulate these platforms, citing that they operate as unlicensed gambling entities.