NBA Betting Partnerships: League Adds Kalshi and Polymarket Amid Scandals

The National Basketball Association has deepened its financial ties to prediction markets by naming Kalshi and Polymarket preferred partners, a move that coincides with ongoing legal troubles involving several players and coaches.

The league announced the new agreements on Monday, alongside a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The NBA also expanded its existing contract with DraftKings to include prediction markets. Scott Kaufman-Ross, the league's head of media distribution and partnerships, stated that protecting game integrity is the top priority as the framework is established.

These partnerships come after a series of gambling-related incidents. Jontay Porter pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy over a manipulation scheme. Malik Beasley is reportedly negotiating a plea deal on similar charges. Additionally, former player Terry Rozier and coach Chauncey Billups face indictments for allegedly rigging prop bets and poker games.

Under the new arrangements, Kalshi and Polymarket will access official league data and intellectual property. The framework limits the types of permissible markets and requires information sharing regarding suspicious trades and investigations. This structure aims to manage the flow of data between the league and the betting platforms.

The CFTC memorandum outlines how the commission will oversee these specific relationships. The NBA indicated that further expansions with other partners are expected in the near future. The league is positioning these platforms as central components of its commercial strategy while managing the reputational risks of current scandals.

State attorneys general, including New York's Letitia James, are currently suing Kalshi and other entities. Senate investigations are also examining how sportsbooks use AI to target high-risk gamblers. The NBA's new deals place it at the center of these regulatory and legal disputes.