NFL Renews Pressure on Prediction Markets, Including Video Poker and Casino-Style Bet Types

The National Football League has escalated its opposition to prediction markets, sending letters to Kalshi, Polymarket and other operators on Thursday demanding the removal of certain bet types, including casino-style games and video poker-style propositions. The development signals that the most popular betting league in the United States remains the strongest skeptic of the rapidly growing prediction market sector.

The letters, reported by SBC Americas, represent the NFL’s latest effort to draw a clear line between sports betting, which the league has cautiously embraced through official partnerships, and prediction markets, which it views as unregulated gambling platforms. The NFL’s stance stands in contrast to other major US sports leagues such as MLB and the NHL, which have formed leaguewide partnerships with prediction market operators.

For video poker players and gambling enthusiasts, the NFL’s push carries practical consequences. Prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket have increasingly offered event contracts that resemble casino games, including video poker-style propositions and other gambling-style bets. If the NFL succeeds in pressuring these platforms to remove such offerings, it could reduce the range of alternative gambling products available to US players.

Key facts

What the NFL is demanding

The NFL’s letters reportedly ask prediction market operators to remove bet types that the league considers infringing on its intellectual property or resembling sports betting without proper regulation. Among the categories targeted are casino-style games, which could include video poker-style contracts that allow users to bet on simulated card outcomes or poker hand results.

The league has not publicly released the full text of the letters, but sources familiar with the correspondence indicate the NFL is taking a broad approach, seeking removal of any contract that mimics traditional gambling products. This goes beyond game-specific props and into territory that directly affects video poker and casino game enthusiasts who use prediction platforms as an alternative to regulated online casinos.

Why prediction markets matter for video poker players

Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket operate under different regulatory frameworks than traditional sportsbooks and online casinos. They are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as derivatives markets rather than by state gambling commissions. This distinction has allowed them to offer products that resemble casino games, including video poker-style contracts, without the same licensing requirements.

For video poker players, these platforms have provided an alternative way to engage with poker-style betting, particularly in states where online video poker is restricted or unavailable. The NFL’s push could close this loophole, limiting options for players who rely on prediction markets for access to card-based gambling products.

The league’s unique position

The NFL stands out among major US sports leagues in its hostility toward prediction markets. While MLB has partnered with Kalshi for official data and event contracts, and the NHL has pursued similar arrangements, the NFL has consistently resisted any integration with prediction platforms.

This is not the NFL’s first action against prediction markets. The league has previously sent cease-and-desist letters to operators and has lobbied federal regulators to classify prediction market contracts as illegal gambling. Thursday’s letters represent an escalation, targeting not just game-specific props but the broader category of casino-style betting.

What comes next

Prediction market operators have not yet publicly responded to the NFL’s latest demands. Kalshi and Polymarket may resist the pressure, arguing that their contracts are legal commodity derivatives rather than gambling products. The CFTC’s stance will be critical in determining whether the NFL’s push gains regulatory teeth.

For video poker players, the immediate takeaway is caution. If prediction markets remove casino-style contracts in response to NFL pressure, the alternative gambling landscape in the US could shrink. Players who use these platforms should monitor regulatory developments and consider the potential impact on their access to video poker-style betting products.

The situation remains fluid. The NFL’s letters are demands, not legal orders, and the operators may choose to fight them. However, the league’s influence over US gambling policy, combined with its status as the most-bet sport in America, gives its objections significant weight.

Source: SBC Americas – https://sbcamericas.com/2026/09/04/nfl-new-letter-prediction-markets/