Lynnae Williams Journalist
Lynnae is a journalist covering the intersection of technology, culture, and gambling. She has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor, with bylines at SlashGear and MakeUseOf. On the iGaming side,...
Read Full BioMajor League Baseball has officially moved into the prediction market space, announcing on Thursday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), while simultaneously naming Polymarket as its exclusive prediction market exchange partner.
The signing of the MOU marks the first time the CFTC and a professional sports league have entered into an information-sharing agreement. With the new deal in place, MLB now has a formal integrity framework with the federal regulator and a commercial relationship with one of the biggest names in prediction markets.
The dual announcements are a big change for the league, which reportedly sent a memo to players last summer warning them not to trade baseball-related event contracts, saying that doing so would violate MLB rules.
However, more recently, the league’s tone appeared to soften. At an owners’ meeting in Florida in February, Commissioner Robert Manfred said the league was open to “being in business with prediction markets” if doing so would help secure integrity protections. Thursday’s agreements show the league has now moved in that direction.
Manfred said the deals were an important step for the league. “The new agreements that we formed with Polymarket and the CFTC are imperative steps in proactively managing the new and rapidly growing prediction market space,” he said. “Protecting the integrity of the game on the field is our top priority.”
Through the new partnership with Polymarket, a CFTC-regulated exchange, the league is moving from a defensive posture to an offensive one, becoming more active in how baseball-related event contracts are managed.
CFTC-MLB MOU Creates New Integrity Channel
The MOU between the CFTC and MLB establishes a formal channel for coordination on integrity issues related to baseball event contracts, making it easier for both parties to share information and respond more quickly when concerns arise.
CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said the deal was “a collaborative step towards promoting the integrity and resilience of the prediction markets relating to professional baseball.” He added that the MOU puts the commission in a stronger position to protect the markets and their participants from “fraud, manipulation, and other abuses.”
In a post on X, Selig said the CFTC and MLB were “committed to work together to protect the integrity and resilience of prediction markets relating to professional baseball.”
MLB noted that the MOU comes a year after it sent a letter to the CFTC in March 2025 calling for stronger integrity protections for the rapidly expanding event contract market. The agreement also establishes regular contact between MLB and the CFTC, with confidentiality protections for any information they exchange.
Polymarket Lands Exclusive Rights, Data Access & Branding
While the MOU handles the regulatory side, on the commercial side of the deal, Polymarket and its brokers get exclusive access to MLB branding, putting the exchange in front of fans through the league’s media channels and during its events.
MLB’s deal with Polymarket puts guardrails on the types of baseball contracts that can be offered, including some of the most controversial, such as pitch-by-pitch outcomes, managerial decisions, and umpiring-related markets.
The league said that Polymarket’s U.S. operating rules would be updated to reflect those standards. MLB added that it plans to have “integrity relationships with all other prediction market exchanges offering baseball contracts” and expects them to implement similar safeguards.
Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan said the partnership is about bringing fans “closer to the moments that define sports,” while working with MLB and regulators to create new engagement opportunities without compromising the game.
Sportradar, MLB’s exclusive global data distributor and integrity partner, made it clear that it sees prediction markets as a money-making opportunity. In a statement posted to X, the company said it sees “a significant opportunity to monetize” its products and services in the sector and that its arrangement with MLB allows it to provide data and other services to Polymarket and, potentially, to other market participants.
Other Leagues Moving In, Not All Are Sold
MLB’s announcement adds to a growing list of league-prediction market deals. The NHL became the first major sports league to embrace event contracts when it entered into multi-year deals with both Kalshi and Polymarket in October 2025.
The UFC followed suit in November 2025, signing a multi-year partnership with Polymarket to bring real-time prediction market features into fight broadcasts and live events. Major League Soccer named Polymarket its official and exclusive prediction market partner in January of this year.
While the trend line certainly is moving toward sports leagues teaming up with prediction markets, some leagues are still taking a wait-and-see approach.
During the All-Star break in February, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league views prediction markets “essentially in the same way” as traditional sports betting. While the NBA hasn’t signed any league-wide deals with prediction markets, they gave the green light to what Silver described as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s “minuscule” investment in Kalshi, saying it was compliant with the current collective bargaining agreement.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has taken the most cautious approach to prediction markets, saying in December that the league had no plans to enter the space until major legal and regulatory questions are settled.
