The NFL has requested Kalshi and Polymarket to delist a potentially manipulable contract, and the CFTC has stated it will respect the league's decision.

BlockBeats News, March 31st, according to The Block, the National Football League (NFL) has sent letters to the prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket, requesting them to "avoid offering contracts related to easily manipulable or predetermined events," with the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Michael Selig, subsequently stating that the league will be given ample leeway at the regulatory level.

According to ESPN, the NFL specifically mentioned the following categories of contracts in the letter: individual game events (such as whether the quarterback's first pass is incomplete or if the kicker commits a kicking error), contracts related to draft picks and roster decisions, and contracts related to broadcast mentions or celebrity attendance, while also raising concerns about field goals and player injury-related markets, stating that the aforementioned contracts could create manipulation incentives.

CFTC Chairman Selig stated in an interview: "If a league tells us that a contract is easily manipulated, we will assess the risks involved. Leagues are very well-suited to make these judgments." It is currently unclear whether Kalshi and Polymarket plan to adjust their products, as The Block has reached out to both platforms and the NFL for comment.

On the legislative front, lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill to prohibit federally regulated prediction markets from offering sports-related contracts; several states are also challenging the legality of these platforms through legal avenues. In contrast, the Major League Baseball (MLB) reached a partnership with Polymarket earlier this month and signed an information-sharing and internal risk monitoring agreement with the CFTC, taking a collaborative rather than adversarial approach.