The National Basketball Association (NBA) has agreed to deals with Kalshi and Polymarket, marking its entry into the prediction markets space.
The league announced a set of agreements on Monday, forming a comprehensive framework for NBA-related prediction markets. The deal also extends its relationship with DraftKings to cover sports trading and sports betting; the leading US sportsbook was the second operator to launch a prediction markets product in December last year.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has also been established between the NBA and the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to ensure integrity is maintained within the agreement.
NBA leaves NFL as the only outlier
It marks the NBA’s first major push into the scene, and follows similar moves by the National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Soccer (MLS). The NHL signed an agreement with Kalshi and Polymarket in October 2025, while the MLS signed a deal with Polymarket in January 2026.
The National Football League (NFL) is now the only major North American sports league to have not agreed to a deal with a company in the predictions market industry. That league has still signed several partnerships with traditional gambling companies, including a recent one with Midnite in the UK and Ireland.
This deal with Kalshi, Polymarket and DraftKings’ predictions operations (within its ‘Super App’) marks a shift in mentality for the NBA, which warned last year that the sector poses “significant integrity risks”.
The push for integrity standards likely helped lead to the MOU, which mandates surveillance data sharing and regulatory cooperation to investigate suspicious trading activity.
Notably, the framework sets limits on permissible event contracts, specifically restricting vulnerable player prop markets, such as individual athlete performance or injury-related contracts, to prevent manipulation and harassment.
The three operators will also gain marketing and promotional rights across US media channels and access to official branding and IP rights.
The deal makes Kalshi and Polymarket “preferred prediction market exchanges” for the NBA, while FanDuel and other prediction platforms are set to sign or extend deals in the near future.
Agreement comes after key stars create talking points
The deal follows high-profile NBA players, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, signing sponsorship agreements with Polymarket and Kalshi.
In contrast, another NBA star, Victor Wembanyama, recently stated that he will never partner with or endorse sports betting or prediction market companies.
However, the league will continue to engage in the predictions space, with integrity as the key focus.
“Protecting the integrity of the game is our top priority,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, NBA Head of Media Distribution and Partnerships.
“As this category develops, we believe it is important to work constructively with regulators and operators to help ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place.
“These partnerships represent an important step in establishing a framework that creates new opportunities to engage our fans.”
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