DraftKings CEO Jason Robins will deliver a keynote at NEXTPredict NYC, placing a major US betting operator in the prediction market debate. The event will focus on how event contracts are moving closer to betting, finance and media.
The summit is scheduled for October 22 and 23, 2026, at Convene in Hudson Yards, New York. It will bring together prediction market founders, executives, investors, policymakers and technology companies.
Robins enters prediction market debate
Robins’ appearance comes after DraftKings expanded into prediction markets through DraftKings Predictions. The product gives users access to event contracts across sports, pop culture and real-world events.
DraftKings has treated prediction markets as a growth area outside its sportsbook model. The company has also kept the product separate from sportsbook and casino because event contracts follow different regulatory rules.
Sports event contracts are already drawing legal challenges from state gambling regulators. Operators such as DraftKings are watching whether prediction markets become a sports betting rival or a new product line.
Summit will focus on regulation
NEXTPredict NYC is being billed as a dedicated prediction markets summit. Its agenda is expected to cover regulation, liquidity, market infrastructure, institutional capital, forecasting and media distribution.
Those issues are central to the current fight. Prediction market platforms need enough liquidity for active trading, but they also face questions over customer protection, insider information and gambling law.
The event will take place weeks before the 2026 US midterm elections. Political contracts and election-linked markets are expected to attract more attention during that period.
DraftKings has been building its position
DraftKings’ interest in prediction markets increased after its move to acquire Railbird Technologies in 2025. That deal gave the company a stronger route into regulated event contracts and supported the DraftKings Predictions launch.
The company’s app listings now reference prediction markets alongside sportsbook, casino and horse racing products. The listing also notes that DraftKings Predictions operates separately from sportsbook and is subject to different regulatory requirements.
That structure lets DraftKings test a product that can reach users in places where online sports betting rules differ by state. It also creates a new regulatory challenge for a company already licensed in many sports betting markets.
Sports contracts remain the hard issue
The biggest policy fight remains sports. State regulators argue that contracts tied to game outcomes can look like sportsbook wagers, especially when users trade on winners, spreads or player performance.
Robins’ keynote will bring attention because DraftKings is active on both sides of that debate. It is a licensed sportsbook operator, but it is also building a prediction market product while regulators decide where event contracts fit.
