CFTC and NHL Sign MOU Targeting Fraud in Hockey Prediction Markets

CFTC Chairman Selig Signs NHL Agreement to Block Insider Trading in Sports Markets

The agreement establishes designated representatives on both sides who will communicate regularly, share information on a confidential basis, and coordinate responses to integrity concerns tied to NHL event contracts traded on CFTC-regulated exchanges.

The MOU covers event contracts, the financial instruments that allow traders to take positions on hockey game outcomes. These contracts are traded on platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which the CFTC oversees as Designated Contract Markets under the Commodity Exchange Act.

“I’m proud the CFTC and NHL have officially signed an MOU, furthering the agency’s commitment to improve data sharing between professional sports leagues and the Commission,” CFTC Chairman Michael Selig remarked in the press release.

The regulator added:

“This agreement is another step toward safeguarding the integrity of sports and protecting market participants in prediction markets from insider trading, fraud, and other abuses. I applaud NHL Commissioner Bettman for collaborating with the CFTC and taking a leading role in protecting the integrity of professional hockey in our markets.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman emphasized that integrity monitoring systems were already operating before this agreement. The MOU adds a formal coordination layer between the league and federal regulators, extending the protections already in place through its commercial partnerships.

“Integrity has always been and remains paramount to the NHL and fundamental to the trust our fans and partners place in our game,” Bettman stated. “Our agreement with the CFTC enhances the comprehensive integrity monitoring systems already in place and strengthens our ability to identify, deter, and address potential risks.”

The NHL entered prediction markets in October 2025, becoming the first major U.S. professional sports league to sign multiyear licensing agreements with both Kalshi and Polymarket. Those deals gave both platforms access to official NHL data for contract settlement and rights to use league marks and logos.

In exchange, the NHL retained input over which markets are offered, with the ability to request removal of contracts deemed high-risk or inappropriate, such as those tied to individual player outcomes.

The NHL’s integrity monitoring in those partnerships relies on Sportradar data feeds and IC360 suspicious activity tracking, the same tools used for traditional sportsbook oversight. The new MOU with the CFTC builds on that foundation by adding a direct federal regulatory channel.

The agreement is modeled on a similar MOU the CFTC signed with Major League Baseball (MLB) on March 19, the first formal pact of its kind between the commission and a major sports league. The NHL deal follows the same general framework: regular meetings, confidential information sharing, and coordinated responses to potential market abuses.

Prediction markets have faced scrutiny from player unions and other stakeholders. The NHL Players Association joined other leagues’ unions in urging the CFTC to prohibit athletes and team personnel from trading on their own leagues and to block contracts tied to player injuries or penalties. The American Gaming Association has also raised concerns, calling the NHL’s commercial platform deals problematic and arguing they risk bypassing state gambling regulations and tax structures.

The CFTC has pursued enforcement actions against several states that attempted to block prediction markets operating under federal jurisdiction, including Illinois, Arizona, Connecticut, and New York. Chairman Selig has defended the agency’s authority and continued to push for league cooperation and platform compliance as a centerpiece of its oversight approach.

The NHL’s dual role as both a commercial partner of prediction market platforms and a signatory to a federal integrity agreement reflects how major sports leagues are navigating a regulatory environment that has moved faster than existing frameworks anticipated.

No manipulation incidents specific to NHL event contracts have been reported in recent times. Both the CFTC and the NHL framed the MOU as a preventive measure rather than a response to any identified wrongdoing.