NFL Files Amicus Brief Claiming Prediction Markets Should Be Treated as Gambling
The National Football League submitted a friend-of-the-court brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that sports-related prediction markets fall under state gambling regulations rather than federal oversight.
The National Football League has filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case between prediction-market operator Kalshi and the state of New Jersey. In the brief, the league contends that prediction markets involving sports should be classified as gambling and therefore regulated by individual states, not by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
The legal dispute centers on whether prediction markets are under the exclusive jurisdiction of the CFTC, which would allow nationwide offerings, or whether they must comply with each state’s gambling laws, potentially restricting sports-related markets in jurisdictions where gambling remains illegal.
The NFL said it is not opposed to prediction markets per se, but noted that neither the CFTC nor the market operators have prohibited bet categories vulnerable to manipulation or imposed a minimum age of 21, despite the league’s repeated requests.
If the Supreme Court rules that prediction markets are subject to state gambling laws, the league indicated it could adjust its stance similarly to its shift after the 2018 decision that opened the door to legal sports betting.