Key Highlights
- The National Hockey League and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have established a formal information-sharing agreement to safeguard prediction market operations.
- This partnership marks the second such collaboration for the CFTC, coming two months after a comparable arrangement with Major League Baseball in March 2026.
- Both Kalshi and Polymarket were previously designated as official prediction market partners by the NHL in 2025.
- CFTC leadership has operated with only Chair Michael Selig since December 2025, far below the standard five-member commission.
- The agency has initiated litigation against multiple state governments, including Ohio, New York, Illinois, Connecticut, and Minnesota, asserting federal jurisdiction over prediction markets.
The nation’s commodities watchdog and professional hockey’s premier organization have formalized an information-sharing framework aimed at preserving the legitimacy of prediction market trading centered on NHL competitions.
LATEST: ⚡ The CFTC signed a prediction market integrity agreement with the NHL, its second such pact with a major sports league in two months. pic.twitter.com/rKWFwMKiAT
— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) May 21, 2026
On Thursday, May 21, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission publicly announced the memorandum of understanding. According to CFTC Chair Michael Selig, the agreement aims to shield market participants from “insider trading, fraud, and other abuses.”
The league had previously established official relationships with Kalshi and Polymarket during the previous year, designating both as authorized prediction market operators. By Thursday, event contracts related to the Stanley Cup playoffs, which commenced in April, were already available on both trading platforms.
Expanding Federal Sports Market Oversight
This NHL partnership represents the CFTC’s second formal agreement with a premier sports organization. Two months earlier, in March 2026, the regulatory body established a comparable framework with Major League Baseball, coinciding with MLB’s announcement of Polymarket as its Official Prediction Market Exchange.
During recent remarks, Selig indicated the CFTC’s intention to negotiate similar frameworks with all major professional sports organizations across the country.
Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner, expressed support for the partnership, emphasizing that integrity represents the “fundamental” element of “the trust our fans and partners place in our game.” He noted the MOU bolsters the league’s current monitoring infrastructure.
Under the terms of the arrangement, both entities will exchange information concerning professional hockey integrity and associated event contracts “upon request.”
Federal Regulator Asserts Exclusive Jurisdiction
Under Selig’s leadership, the CFTC has adopted an assertive position regarding its exclusive federal regulatory authority over prediction markets. The commission has initiated legal proceedings against state regulators in Ohio, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, and Minnesota.
The agency characterized the Minnesota litigation as involving that jurisdiction’s “first outright ban” targeting prediction market operators.
During Senate Commerce Committee proceedings earlier this week, legislators voiced apprehensions about potential misconduct within prediction markets. Committee Chair Ted Cruz cautioned that malicious participants, potentially including professional athletes, could erode public confidence.
Despite this aggressive regulatory posture, the CFTC continues functioning with a single commissioner. The agency’s standard governance structure consists of a bipartisan five-member panel. Selig has served as the only commissioner since December 2025.
Congressional members have pressed President Trump to nominate candidates for the empty positions. Through Thursday, no official nominations had been made public.
Additionally on Wednesday, prediction market operator Polymarket submitted a product self-certification notification to the CFTC. This filing would authorize the platform to bundle multiple underlying event contracts into consolidated offerings.
The NHL’s upcoming 2026-27 season is slated to launch in September 2026.
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