The executive vice president and assistant general counsel of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Dan Spillane, has called for tighter regulations of prediction markets to protect the integrity of his sport and others.
In a letter addressed to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Spillane asked for tighter restrictions on players, game officials and team staff to avoid the reputational damage incurred by recent match-fixing cases in the sport.
“No higher priority” than protecting NBA, says Spillane says
In his letter, Spillane made clear the league took no side in the battle between state governments and the CFTC on who should regulate the sector, but emphasized the importance of safeguarding the sport and its players.
“There is no higher priority for the NBA than protecting the integrity of our games and preserving public confidence in our league and in our sport,” he wrote.
He also called for “robust and comprehensive” rules tailored specifically to prevent manipulation, insider participation and suspicious trading activity tied to league events, and outlined several specific measures he wants regulators to implement.
These include requiring exchanges to block players, coaches, referees and team staff from participating in prediction markets tied to their own sports, and mandating strong identity verification systems to prevent anonymous trading.
He also asks that exchanges cooperate with league investigations, share data on suspicious or prohibited trades, and immediately alert leagues to potential integrity issues. Additionally, he recommends raising the minimum trading age to 21, limiting certain high-risk types of markets, such as player-specific or injury-related bets, and giving leagues more authority to approve or reject which markets can be offered.
The letter was submitted in response to the league’s participation in a public comment period tied to the CFTC’s rulemaking process on prediction markets. The comment period opened March 13 and closed Thursday, drawing nearly 1,500 submissions, according to the agency.
Letter builds on previous comments by Commissioner Silver
Back in February, League Commissioner Adam Silver presented his thoughts on the new industry, urging caution in embracing the sector.
He confirmed the NBA continues to treat prediction markets as a form of sports betting, placing them under the same integrity and compliance framework used for licensed sportsbooks.
Silver also reiterated that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s investment in Kalshi shares remains within league rules, describing the stake as minimal and below ownership limits allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.
The NBA is the only league to avoid a partnership with prediction markets, with the MLB, MLS, and NHL all agreeing deals with companies like Kalshi and Polymarket.
NBA still rocking from FBI investigations
Federal prosecutors said in early 2026 that they were reviewing additional NBA games as part of an expanding investigation into illegal betting tied to inside information and suspected manipulation.
The update emerged in court filings tied to an Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe that was opened late last year, with officials describing the case as ongoing and potentially broader than the games already identified publicly.
Prosecutors said the investigation initially centered on the use of nonpublic information, and in some instances alleged in-game manipulation, to target betting markets, particularly player prop wagers.
The case overlapped with prior league discipline, including the lifetime ban of Jontay Porter for violating gambling rules, and added to ongoing concerns among regulators and league officials about the integrity risks tied to such betting markets.
