NFL bans prediction market ads from Super Bowl LX

• The National Football League has blocked prediction market platforms from purchasing advertising during Super Bowl LX on 8 February.
• Kalshi and Polymarket join tobacco, firearms and pornography on the league’s prohibited advertising categories list.
• The NFL cites concerns about regulatory gaps and lack of safeguards compared to traditional sports betting operators.

The National Football League has blocked prediction market platforms from advertising during Super Bowl LX, placing forecast exchange operators alongside tobacco and firearms on its prohibited categories list for the championship game.

Platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket will not be permitted to purchase advertising slots during the 8 February 2026 broadcast between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.

League policy and integrity concerns

Prediction markets have been barred from NFL broadcasts throughout the entire 2025 season, a source familiar with the matter told Front Office Sports. The prohibition was implemented before the season’s kickoff and applies to all regular-season and playoff games.

The NFL expressed concerns that sports event contracts operate in a “grey area” without the regulatory safeguards present in traditional sports betting, including “prohibitions on easily manipulated markets” and “official league data requirements”.

Jeff Miller, executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy for the NFL, provided written testimony to a House Committee on Agriculture last month addressing “the potential impact of sports-related events contracts on the integrity of our games.”

The league’s stance contrasts sharply with its relationships with traditional sportsbooks. Major betting operators including DraftKings and FanDuel will have advertisements during Super Bowl LX, though their prediction market products cannot be promoted. The NFL limits sports betting commercials to six or fewer during the broadcast.

Prediction market growth and regulatory scrutiny

Companies operating prediction market platforms have secured massive funding rounds in recent months. Kalshi announced $1 billion in new funding in early December 2025, whilst the New York Stock Exchange operator agreed to pour up to $2 billion into Polymarket in October.

A 30-second advertising spot during Super Bowl LX costs between $8 million and $10 million. Both Kalshi and Polymarket possess financial resources to afford premium placements but are blocked by league policy.

Prediction markets allow users to trade on outcomes of future events including sports, politics and economic indicators. Whilst operators argue platforms serve forecasting and information aggregation purposes, regulators and sports leagues have increasingly scrutinised their relationship to gambling activity.

Days before Super Bowl LX, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a warning urging consumers to exercise caution with unregulated prediction markets.

“It’s crystal clear: so-called prediction markets do not have the same consumer protections as regulated platforms,” James stated, according to CNBC.

Market offerings and insider trading concerns

Both Kalshi and Polymarket offer extensive markets on Super Bowl-related outcomes beyond traditional game results. Trading options include player performance metrics, halftime show details, celebrity attendance and which brands will advertise during the broadcast.

The latter market has prompted concerns about insider trading, as company executives and advertising agents already know if their firms purchased Super Bowl slots. Employees could potentially profit by trading on prediction markets using non-public information.

Kalshi’s market on “which brands will advertise during the Big Game 2026” had reached almost $1.2 million in volume as of late January, with Pepsi, Liquid Death and Him & Hers leading as top contenders. Polymarket’s international platform showed over $33,000 in volume for similar markets.

Laws prohibit insider trading on prediction markets similarly to traditional financial markets. However, industry experts express scepticism that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), recently affected by widespread government cuts, has sufficient resources to police violations.

CFTC Chairman Michael Selig recently directed agency staff to withdraw a proposed rule that would have banned prediction trades on sports and politics, stating new rules would be forthcoming.

League partnerships and competitive landscape

The NFL’s prohibition stands in contrast to other major sports properties. The NHL and MLS have embraced prediction market partnerships, with the New York Rangers announcing a Polymarket deal in January 2026 and the Chicago Blackhawks partnering with Kalshi in December 2025.

NBA teams have also engaged with prediction market operators. Coinbase, which partnered with Kalshi to offer prediction markets, serves as an official NBA partner and jersey sponsor for the Philadelphia 76ers. Robinhood sponsors the Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards.

The NCAA holds views similar to the NFL’s cautious stance. College sports face ongoing challenges with betting scandals, including federal prosecutors charging 26 people in an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme affecting NCAA and CBA games earlier this year.

Traditional sportsbooks DraftKings and FanDuel have launched their own prediction market platforms to compete with Kalshi and Polymarket. The companies can advertise their core sports betting products during the Super Bowl but cannot promote prediction market offerings.

$1 billion in volume on prediction market apps

The Super Bowl represents the most-watched annual sporting event in the United States, delivering massive audience reach to advertisers. Exclusion from this platform limits prediction markets’ ability to build mainstream consumer awareness during peak sports viewing periods.

Kalshi received regulatory approval from the CFTC to offer event contracts, positioning itself as a federally regulated platform. Polymarket operates on blockchain infrastructure and has faced regulatory challenges in the US market, though it gained prominence during the 2024 election cycle.

The NFL’s decision could influence other major sports properties’ approaches to prediction market partnerships, potentially constraining the sector’s growth trajectory in US sports media. Local television affiliates may run different commercials than national broadcasts, meaning prediction market advertisements could appear in some geographic markets.

Trading volume at prediction markets for the Super Bowl is expected to eclipse $1 billion across US and international platforms. This figure, whilst representing trading volume rather than traditional handle, demonstrates significant user engagement with forecast exchange products.