On the week the NFL sells its biggest advertising stage, prediction markets are still being kept out. But the league’s public tone is shifting from outright pushback to cautious engagement.
Executive vice president Jeff Miller said the NFL plans to spend time discussing sports prediction markets as a fan engagement tool. The league is not endorsing event contracts. It is preparing for a category that is growing around its product.
The NFL’s message: interesting, but risky
Miller said prediction markets can drive engagement, while warning that the money flowing into sports-linked contracts could create “substantially greater risks to contest integrity.” The league’s core complaint is that monitoring, market controls, and consumer protections are not yet as settled as they are in licensed sports betting.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has echoed that position, saying the NFL is not ready to participate without a clearer regulatory framework and more certainty around integrity risk.
Super Bowl ads still off limits
Even as the league talks more openly, it is limiting exposure. Ahead of Super Bowl LX, reports said prediction market ads are barred from the national broadcast, while sportsbook advertising is still permitted under league rules.
That split allows the NFL to study the space without granting it Super Bowl-level legitimacy. It also keeps the league away from platforms that could face rapid legal changes.
Court fights keep the category unsettled
Prediction market operators often argue sports contracts fall under federal commodities oversight. Several states disagree and have moved to restrict or challenge the offerings.
On Feb. 6, a Massachusetts judge ordered Kalshi to stop offering sports event contracts in the state within 30 days unless it obtains a state gaming license. After the Super Bowl, court decisions and state actions are likely to do more than any league comment to define how far prediction markets can scale.
