The NBA on October 26 named Kalshi and Polymarket as its Preferred Prediction Market Exchanges, formalising a commercial category for event-contract platforms around its games. The league also announced a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission covering cooperation and information sharing on NBA prediction markets, according to the NBA.

The designations give the exchanges access to official league assets while placing the NBA directly in the approval and integrity process for the markets offered on its events.

Kalshi and Polymarket receive NBA rights

Kalshi and Polymarket, designated as preferred exchanges, will receive NBA intellectual-property and marketing rights and official Sportradar data to operate and settle authorized NBA-related markets under multi-year arrangements, the Associated Press reported.

The deals make the exchanges league-approved commercial partners rather than platforms operating NBA-related contracts without a direct league agreement. The NBA retains approval rights over the types of prediction markets offered on its games and said the agreements set limits on permissible NBA markets.

Market approval and integrity rules

The NBA retains approval rights over the types of prediction markets offered on its games, according to the AP. The league said its agreements also set limits on permissible NBA markets.

League and team personnel are prohibited from trading NBA event contracts under the arrangements. The agreements further require information sharing related to suspicious trading and investigations, creating a mechanism for the exchanges and league to coordinate when activity raises integrity concerns.

The safeguards are central to the NBA's framework: commercial access to its brand and official data is tied to restrictions on what contracts can be listed and to oversight of trading activity involving its competitions.

CFTC MOU and DraftKings expansion

The NBA's MOU with the CFTC covers cooperation and information sharing on NBA prediction markets. Separately, the league expanded its agreement with DraftKings to include prediction markets and nationwide promotion. The NBA said it plans to broaden partnerships with other prediction-market operators.

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Source: Crypto Daily