Roger Goodell says NFL taking 'patient' approach to prediction market partnerships
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league is taking a 'patient' approach to prediction market partnerships. The NFL has been slower to enter the space than other major sports leagues. The NFL, NBA, and MLB are named as leagues engaging with the sector. Goodell is calling for stricter oversight of NFL prediction markets. Crypto.com, ProphetX, and Fanatics are named as operators active in the space. The league has sent comment letters to the CFTC urging tighter restrictions on event contracts tied to NFL games.
Goodell's public patience masks a harder private line. The NFL has filed comment letters with the CFTC demanding tighter restrictions, not clarity. That positions the league as an adversary to platforms like Kalshi and FanDuel Predicts, which already partnered with faster-moving leagues. The NBA and MLB accepted commercial deals; the NFL is building a regulatory wall first.
For Crypto.com, ProphetX, and Fanatics, this means any NFL partnership awaits a rulemaking that the CFTC has not timetabled. The delay also gives state attorneys general in Connecticut and elsewhere more runway to ban sports event contracts before a federal framework firms up. Goodell gains leverage by slowing the clock. Platforms lose it. Traders hoping for liquid NFL markets on regulated venues face a longer wait, with no deadline in sight.