NFL Urges Supreme Court to Allow State Betting Regulation

The National Football League filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States requesting that states maintain the authority to regulate sports prediction markets. The league argues that prediction contracts function as gambling rather than financial swaps, meaning they should fall under state sovereign police powers instead of the exclusive jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

League officials expressed concern that a federal laissez-faire approach leaves games vulnerable to manipulation by actors trading on inside information regarding officiating, injuries, and intentional play errors. The NFL is also advocating for a minimum betting age of 21, noting that platforms such as Kalshi currently allow users as young as 18.

While the NHL and MLB have established partnerships with prediction markets, the NFL continues to enforce an advertising ban on these platforms to protect game integrity. Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that the league is prioritizing these protections over early adoption of such partnerships.