Major League Baseball Bets on Prediction Market Industry
MLB has partnered with Polymarket and signed a memorandum of understanding with the CFTC.
MLB’s partnership with Polymarket was first reported by Front Office Sports (FOS). FOS reported that the deal’s terms were not public, though it was likely between $150 million and $300 million.
MLB has become the third sports league to form partnerships with the prediction market industry. MLS partnered with Polymarket in January 2026, and the NHL partnered with both Kalshi and Polymarket in October 2025.
These sports partnerships are part of a larger strategy to get new American users to try Polymarket. Polymarket’s U.S. beta remains focused on sports markets, the category with the most trade volume on regulated prediction markets like Kalshi.
As for the leagues themselves, MLB is the first to sign an MOU with the CFTC.
MLB and CFTC cooperation
The CFTC announced an MOU with MLB on Thursday. The agreement called for information sharing to protect match integrity. The MOU designates liaisons between the CFTC and MLB to keep communication lines open.
Tyler Badgley, General Counsel, is the CFTC’s liaison, and Quest Meeks, Senior Vice President and Head Counsel, Policy, Integrity & Compliance, is MLB’s liaison.
The CFTC has already signalled that it intends to defend sports contracts and the agency’s exclusive jurisdiction over them. In February 2026, the CFTC filed its first amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit case. The CFTC is also a participant in oral arguments scheduled in the Ninth Circuit on April 16.
Kalshi leans into March Madness as legal troubles mount
The competition for traction within sports trading is fierce between Kalshi and Polymarket.
As the March Madness tournament begins, Kalshi has announced a $1 billion prize for a perfect bracket. The company is also fighting criminal charges in Arizona for “running an illegal gambling operation.” Nevada also appears poised to file a temporary restraining order in state court.
Kalshi saw $504 million in trade volume on March Madness games in 2025, in part because of its partnership with Robinhood. There’s a lot of money and public attention on the line for Kalshi for the duration of the tournament.