CFTC and NHL Sign MOU Targeting Fraud in Hockey Prediction Markets

CFTC Chairman Selig Signs NHL Agreement to Block Insider Trading successful Sports Markets

The agreement establishes designated representatives connected some sides who volition pass regularly, stock accusation connected a confidential basis, and coordinate responses to integrity concerns tied to NHL lawsuit contracts traded connected CFTC-regulated exchanges.

The MOU covers lawsuit contracts, the fiscal instruments that let traders to instrumentality positions connected hockey crippled outcomes. These contracts are traded connected platforms specified arsenic Kalshi and Polymarket, which the CFTC oversees arsenic Designated Contract Markets nether the Commodity Exchange Act.

“I’m arrogant the CFTC and NHL person officially signed an MOU, furthering the agency’s committedness to amended information sharing betwixt nonrecreational sports leagues and the Commission,” CFTC Chairman Michael Selig remarked successful the property release.

The regulator added:

“This statement is different measurement toward safeguarding the integrity of sports and protecting marketplace participants successful prediction markets from insider trading, fraud, and different abuses. I applaud NHL Commissioner Bettman for collaborating with the CFTC and taking a starring relation successful protecting the integrity of nonrecreational hockey successful our markets.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman emphasized that integrity monitoring systems were already operating earlier this agreement. The MOU adds a ceremonial coordination furniture betwixt the league and national regulators, extending the protections already successful spot done its commercialized partnerships.

“Integrity has ever been and remains paramount to the NHL and cardinal to the spot our fans and partners spot successful our game,” Bettman stated. “Our statement with the CFTC enhances the broad integrity monitoring systems already successful spot and strengthens our quality to identify, deter, and code imaginable risks.”

The NHL entered prediction markets successful October 2025, becoming the archetypal large U.S. nonrecreational sports league to motion multiyear licensing agreements with some Kalshi and Polymarket. Those deals gave some platforms entree to authoritative NHL information for declaration colony and rights to usage league marks and logos.

In exchange, the NHL retained input implicit which markets are offered, with the quality to petition removal of contracts deemed high-risk oregon inappropriate, specified arsenic those tied to idiosyncratic subordinate outcomes.

The NHL’s integrity monitoring successful those partnerships relies connected Sportradar information feeds and IC360 suspicious enactment tracking, the aforesaid tools utilized for accepted sportsbook oversight. The caller MOU with the CFTC builds connected that instauration by adding a nonstop national regulatory channel.

The statement is modeled connected a akin MOU the CFTC signed with Major League Baseball (MLB) connected March 19, the archetypal ceremonial pact of its benignant betwixt the committee and a large sports league. The NHL woody follows the aforesaid wide framework: regular meetings, confidential accusation sharing, and coordinated responses to imaginable marketplace abuses.

Prediction markets person faced scrutiny from subordinate unions and different stakeholders. The NHL Players Association joined different leagues’ unions successful urging the CFTC to prohibit athletes and squad unit from trading connected their ain leagues and to artifact contracts tied to subordinate injuries oregon penalties. The American Gaming Association has besides raised concerns, calling the NHL’s commercialized level deals problematic and arguing they hazard bypassing authorities gambling regulations and taxation structures.

The CFTC has pursued enforcement actions against respective states that attempted to artifact prediction markets operating nether national jurisdiction, including Illinois, Arizona, Connecticut, and New York. Chairman Selig has defended the agency’s authorization and continued to propulsion for league practice and level compliance arsenic a centerpiece of its oversight approach.

The NHL’s dual relation arsenic some a commercialized spouse of prediction market platforms and a signatory to a national integrity statement reflects however large sports leagues are navigating a regulatory situation that has moved faster than existing frameworks anticipated.

No manipulation incidents circumstantial to NHL lawsuit contracts person been reported successful caller times. Both the CFTC and the NHL framed the MOU arsenic a preventive measurement alternatively than a effect to immoderate identified wrongdoing.