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Major League Baseball became the most prominent U.S. sports league to partner with a prediction market platform and also signed an unprecedented memorandum with the federal agency that regulates trading exchanges.
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Key Takeaways
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The Memorandum of Understanding gives MLB a seat at the table with the regulatory agency, the CFTC.
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The pro baseball league made the agreements to improve the integrity of the sport.
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Polymarket gains exclusive marketing access to MLB.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced both deals on Thursday. Polymarket becomes the official prediction market exchange of the professional league, a partnership that Manfred recently told owners was likely coming, just days away from the beginning of the 2026 season.
MLB established a regulatory framework with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that will give the baseball league a say in how its integrity aligns with rapidly expanding sports event contracts, which could prompt other leagues, such as the NBA and NFL, to explore involvement with prediction platforms.
“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,” Manfred said in MLB’s announcement. “Protecting the integrity of the game on the field is our top priority. By engaging in this community, we are able to work together to create clear boundaries with the goal of mitigating risk while providing fan engagement opportunities.”
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Rewriting the rulebook
The Memorandum of Understanding gives MLB a seat at the table with the CFTC, especially when it comes to policing prediction markets. MLB and the federal agency will exchange information, which will be kept confidential, to facilitate the integrity measures.
“The MOU is a collaborative step towards promoting the integrity and resilience of the prediction markets relating to professional baseball,” CFTC chairman Michael S. Selig said. “Through this MOU, the CFTC is well-positioned to add additional tools to protect these markets and its participants from fraud, manipulation, and other abuses. I thank MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred for partnering with the CFTC and taking a leading role in protecting the integrity of these growing markets.”
The agreement with the CFTC also means that MLB and the CFTC will work with other prediction market platforms, like Kalshi, DraftKings Predictions, and FanDuel Predict, to have those companies add baseball’s integrity protections to their rulebooks.
Integrity concerns
MLB has been at the forefront of tighter integrity measures. The league was rocked by a gambling scandal after Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were arrested in late 2025 and charged with manipulating pitches and taking bribes to help two Dominican Republic bettors.
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Clase and Ortiz are scheduled to stand trial for the federal chargers this fall.
Prediction markets, which aren’t held by the same standards as state-regulated sportsbooks, have come under fire for a lack of regulation of sports event contracts. U.S. leagues haven’t been as quick to partner with prediction market platforms as they were with sports betting operators.
The MMA company UFC signed a prediction market partnership agreement with Polymarket last year, which has been prominent during fight broadcasts.
Major partner
The deal with MLB is a major one for Polymarket, which launched in 2020 but left the U.S. market in 2022 because of regulatory issues. With the explosion of prediction markets, Polymarket acquired a derivatives exchange last year to regain access to the U.S. in December 2025.
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Now, Polymarket gains exclusive MLB marketing rights through brand exposure and access to MLB marks and logos. The prediction market platform will also be able to use MLB’s official league data.
Polymarket agreed to work with MLB to restrict markets that are at high risk of manipulation, such as individual pitches, managerial decisions, and umpire performance.
“Polymarket is about bringing fans closer to the moments that define sports,” said Shayne Coplan, founder and CEO of Polymarket. “By working collaboratively with Major League Baseball and regulators, we can create new ways for fans to engage with the game while protecting the integrity of the sport.”
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