NFL calls on SCOTUS to weigh in on sports event contracts issue

• The NFL has called on SCOTUS to finally weigh in as conflict over prediction markets rages on
• The league insists that more than a billion dollars has been traded on the NFL in the opening Sunday alone, mandating further scrutiny
• Prediction markets and the CFTC maintain they are independent of gaming regulation, state scrutiny

Sports integrity is on the mind of the National Football League (NFL) once again, with the NFL calling for the U.S. Supreme Court to make a ruling in the matter of prediction markets and decide whether they constitute gambling.

The NFL wants to protect the integrity of sports betting

The reason? The NFL fears that sports integrity is in jeopardy, citing sports event contracts that allow for a fast-and-loose approach to "betting" on sports outcomes. Companies in the sector maintain that they are not offering betting products, but rather take trades.

The NFL submitted an amicus brief on Thursday, which further supports efforts by New Jersey to have SCOTUS come up with a ruling on whether sports event contracts are in fact gambling, and if they are therefore subject to local gaming laws and the regulators administering these statutes.

So far, the issue has been fought on a state-by-state basis, with no clear rulings just yet - with some states seeing qualified successes against the prediction market sector, and others, such as Illinois, forced to regroup.

The NFL would now like this to change, urging the country’s top court to finally address the matter, which has been gaining relevance. The NFL also argues that the issue is more relevant than ever, noting that the first Sunday of the 2026 season saw $1.8bn in tradinghandle generated out of $3.3bn total.

"Billions of dollars will be bet on NFL games through prediction markets each season, and any delay from the Court will result in increasing consumer harm and risk to game integrity," the NFL explained in the brief.

CFTC wants to retain exclusivity in regulation over contracts

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has maintained, though, that it is the one that has purview in the matter of sports event contracts, despite pushback from state regulators.

Sports event contracts have been a contentious issue for gaming watchdogs around the United States.

Among the issues cited are integrity, as exemplified by the NFL’s own complaint, as well as the fact that sports event contracts - even if they are "trades" and not "bets" - are too similar to legacy sports betting and the fact that they are available at the age of 18.

States have openly talked about taxing the fees charged by prediction markets on sports event contracts as well, but most lawmakers expect companies to push back against such proposals.

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