The American Gaming Association (AGA) does not like the idea of sports leagues getting into bed with prediction markets.
Less than 48 hours after the NHL announced that it had signed up Kalshi and Polymarket as official partners, a first for a major U.S. sports league, AGA President and CEO Bill Miller called the agreement “deeply troubling” and “dangerous”.
While NHL Business President Keith Wachtel said working with Kalshi and Polymarket provides greater opportunities for fan engagement, Miller’s concerns remain focused on the legality and regulation of sports event contracts.
AGA CEO posted thoughts on LinkedIn
“These companies operate entirely outside the legal sports betting framework established by states, tribal governments and federal law, Miller wrote on LinkedIn. “In doing so, they threaten the integrity of sports and the protections in place for consumers.”
Among his concerns, Miller stated that the NHL working with prediction markets risks misleading fans by positioning the likes of Kalshi and Polymarket as equivalents to regulated sportsbooks while the legal status of the platforms continues to be a matter before the courts in several states.
“Let’s be clear: Kalshi and Polymarket are offering sports wagers without any of the consumer protections or integrity standards required of licensed operators,” he added. “They’re not accountable to any state regulator or tribal authority — and that should alarm every stakeholder in the sports ecosystem.”
Other leagues have kept their distance
Not only have Kalshi and Polymarket and their respective brokers and merchant partners acquired rights to access official NHL data and use its marks and logos on their platforms, Sports Business Journal reported that the NHL will have input on the prediction markets that Kalshi and Polymarket offer.
Miller told ESPN in a separate statement that no professional league should lend its brand to prediction markets that offer sports companies operating in defiance of state law and consumer protection norms.”
While the NHL believes it has spied an opportunity, other leagues have publicly expressed misgivings at prediction markets’ expansion into sports. The NBA and MLB each sent a letter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) several months ago voicing those concerns, as did the NFL, which placed sports contracts on an even keel with sports wagering, at least in terms of what league personnel are allowed to partake in.
AGA sends letter to leagues
SBJ reported this week that Miller sent letters to the commissioners of the NFL, NBA and MLB on Oct. 24, urging them to ensure their respective leagues do not follow the NHL by striking similar commercial deals with prediction markets.
Miller reportedly warned in the correspondence that working with prediction markets in the current climate could undermine the work the leagues have done on preserving sporting integrity through collaboration with regulated sportsbooks, integrity monitoring firms and the wider gaming industry.
The AGA told SBC Americas it would not be publishing or sharing the letters, but did not deny that it had sent them.
