Polymarket Cleared For US Launch By CFTC

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued a no-action letter in relation to Polymarket reactivating markets for US customers.

Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan posted on X that the company has been given the “green light to go live in the USA”. He also praised the CFTC for its “impressive work” to accelerate the process of re-entry to the market.

Polymarket has been given the green light to go live in the USA by the @CFTC.

Credit to the Commission and Staff for their impressive work. This process has been accomplished in record timing.

Stay tuned https://t.co/NVziTixpqO

— Shayne Coplan 🦅 (@shayne_coplan) September 3, 2025

CFTC Taking No Action Against Prediction Markets

The CFTC announced that it would take a no-action position in response to a request from QCX, the licensed platform that Polymarket recently acquired.

The organization had previously made the same announcement in relation to QC Clearing LLC, but the latest announcement applied to the platform QCX.

Both share the same clearinghouse (QC Clearing LLC) and the same type of regulatory relief, but each had to be handled separately.

The response from the CFTC is in line with its lack of action on halting the rise of sports prediction markets. Rather than explicitly approving markets and setting guidelines for what platforms are allowed to offer, the organization has allowed companies, such as Kalshi, to self-certify markets.

The lack of clear guidelines around what constitutes a valid prediction market under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and what constitutes sports betting has angered state regulators and tribes.

Polymarket Returns After Legal Challenges

In preparation for officially accepting US users again, Polymarket has launched an ad campaign targeting states with no legal sports betting.

But it was not long ago that Coplan had his home raided by the FBI over concerns that Polymarket was allowing US users to trade on its presidential election markets.

The FBI and CFTC investigation ended in July, with no repercussions against Coplan or Polymarket. Prior to the FBI raid in November last year, the CFTC fined Polymarket $1.4 million in 2022 for operating without a valid license and ordered the closure of all US user accounts.

A change in administration has brought a shift in attitude from the CFTC towards prediction markets. Donald Trump Jr. now serves as an advisor to both Polymarket and Kalshi. His father’s nominee to lead the CFTC is a board member at Kalshi.

While Brian Quintenz continues to await appointment, amid strong opposition, prediction markets have increasingly been targeted due to a lack of regulatory enforcement.

Prediction Market Platforms Vie For Position

Seen as a way for companies to attract NFL bettors for the new football season, Underdog has partnered with Crypto.com. Kalshi has expanded its markets, and Polymarket has relaunched. The prediction market space is becoming increasingly competitive.

The latest no-action response from the CFTC further indicates that the growth of sports prediction markets will not be slowed by the regulator.

For NFL fans in states with no legal sports betting, suddenly, there is a wide range of platforms where they can wager on matches. States have so far been going down the path of legally challenging platforms, but that process is long and drawn out.

Another option may be to legalize all sports betting and let sportsbooks, tribes, and prediction markets fight it out in the free market. At the moment, a lot of time and money are going into legal cases between various stakeholders vying for a position. Prediction markets have found a way in, and it will be interesting to see where NFL bettors place their bets this football season.