The NBA has spent the last two years trying to contain gambling scandals. Now it is partnering with the companies that let fans trade on its games.

On Monday, the league named Kalshi and Polymarket its preferred prediction-market partners, giving both companies commercial rights and access to official NBA data. The move comes as four gambling cases since April 2024, involving players and a former head coach, continue to put the league’s integrity measures under scrutiny.

According to Front Office Sports, the agreements allow both companies to use NBA intellectual property in their apps and marketing materials. They will receive official league data through Sportradar, the NBA’s official data distribution partner.

Players and league and team employees will be prohibited from trading on NBA event contracts. The agreements include restrictions on the types of NBA-related markets that authorized operators can offer. The league has also entered a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to share information related to prediction markets and their integrity.

“Protecting the integrity of the game is our top priority,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA’s head of media distribution and partnerships. “As this category develops, we believe it is important to work constructively with regulators and operators to help ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place.”

Kalshi’s head of sports partnerships Adam Barrick said the relationship “reflects a shared mindset that prioritizes fan engagement, innovation, and safety.” Polymarket’s president of sports business development Ari Borod said the agreement “will allow our customers to engage more deeply with the game of basketball on Polymarket.”

Four Gambling Cases Put the NBA’s New Partnerships Under Scrutiny

Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban in April 2024 remains one of the most prominent gambling-related cases involving an NBA player. The league found that the former Toronto Raptors player disclosed confidential health information to bettors, limited his participation in games for betting purposes and bet on NBA games. Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in July 2024 and is still awaiting sentencing, which has been delayed as the federal investigation expanded.

In October 2025, federal authorities announced separate cases involving then-Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and then-Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups. Rozier was charged in an alleged sports-betting scheme involving confidential information about his expected playing time. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is scheduled for February 8, 2027. The Miami Heat waived him in April 2026.

Billups was charged in a separate investigation into alleged rigged poker games involving organized-crime figures. Prosecutors alleged that technology was used to cheat participants in private poker games. His case is distinct from the sports-betting allegations involving Rozier.

Malik Beasley was indicted in June 2026 over an alleged scheme involving bribes and wagers tied to his performance while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. On October 24, ABC News reported that a court notice showed Beasley intends to plead guilty, with a judge referring the change of plea to a magistrate to schedule a hearing. Until he formally enters a plea, the allegations remain unproven.

These cases involve different alleged conduct, and none of them involved prediction markets. But they explain why the league’s new partnerships are drawing scrutiny.

The NBA’s argument is that partnering gives it control it did not have before. Most of the alleged schemes relied on the same kinds of bets. Porter admitted to leaving games early to help bettors who had wagered on “under” props, and prosecutors say Rozier’s alleged scheme also centered on his playing time. After Porter’s case, the league banned bets on players with two-way contracts, which was Porter’s contract status.

On October 16, the NBA told its sportsbook partners to go further. The new rules ban parlays that combine under bets on the same player, under bets on players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes, and first of markets such as the first basket of a game.

At the time, Kaufman-Ross said that without any agreements, it would be difficult to enforce those limits. Front Office Sports reports that all of the league’s new prediction-market partners must now follow the same restrictions.

“We will have the right to approve the types of markets that are available on our games, which is a very important component for us,” Kaufman-Ross told the Associated Press on Monday.

Critics argue that prediction markets blur the line between gambling and financial trading, and several states are suing the companies over whether they amount to unlicensed sports betting.

The league is also expanding its relationship with DraftKings, one of its existing official sports-betting partners, to include prediction markets and nationwide promotion. DraftKings has not received the same preferred-partner designation as Kalshi and Polymarket.

“The agreement expands our ability to reach and engage eligible customers around NBA event contracts throughout the league ecosystem, complementing the continued expansion of DraftKings Predictions within our broader sports platform,” a DraftKings spokesperson said in a statement to FOS.

The announcement also comes as individual NBA stars build relationships with prediction-market companies. FOS reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo is an investor in Kalshi, while LeBron James has an endorsement deal with Polymarket that FOS reported will pay him $15 million per year.

The NBA joins the NHL, MLB and MLS in establishing relationships with prediction-market companies. The NFL remains a major holdout, with disagreements continuing over whether sports-related event contracts should be regulated primarily by federal or state authorities.

For the NBA, the challenge will be to balance the commercial opportunities presented by prediction markets with the responsibility of protecting the game’s integrity. As these partnerships expand, the effectiveness of the league’s safeguards and its cooperation with regulators will be crucial in maintaining trust in the sport.