CFTC, NHL Sign MOU to Curb Insider Trading in Prediction Markets

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Hockey League signed a memorandum of understanding on May 21, 2026 to share confidential information and coordinate responses aimed at preventing insider trading, fraud and manipulation in federally regulated hockey prediction markets.

The MOU identifies designated representatives from both organizations who will meet regularly, exchange sensitive information on a confidential basis and coordinate responses to integrity concerns tied to NHL event contracts traded on CFTC-regulated exchanges. Event contracts are financial instruments that let traders take positions on game outcomes and other hockey-related results; they are offered on platforms that the CFTC oversees as designated contract markets.

CFTC Chair Michael Selig said, “I’m proud the CFTC and NHL have officially signed an MOU, furthering the agency’s commitment to improve data sharing between professional sports leagues and the Commission.” He also praised NHL leadership for working with the agency to address market integrity risks.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman noted the league already operates integrity monitoring systems and described the agreement as a formal channel to share information with federal authorities. “Integrity has always been and remains paramount to the NHL and fundamental to the trust our fans and partners place in our game,” Bettman added.

The NHL began commercial partnerships with prediction market platforms in October 2025, signing multiyear licensing agreements with two firms that give them access to official league data for contract settlement and rights to use NHL marks. Under those deals, the league retained input over which markets are listed and can request removal of contracts it considers high-risk or inappropriate, including markets tied to individual player outcomes.

The league’s monitoring for those partnerships uses data feeds from Sportradar and IC360 suspicious-activity tools, the same systems used in sportsbook oversight. The new MOU links that commercial monitoring directly to a federal regulator and sets procedures for joint responses to potential abuses.

The agreement follows a March 19 MOU between the CFTC and Major League Baseball and reflects the commission’s broader effort to formalize cooperation with professional sports leagues around prediction markets. The CFTC has asserted jurisdiction over event contracts and has pursued enforcement actions against several states that tried to restrict prediction markets operating under federal law, including Illinois, Arizona, Connecticut and New York.

Player unions and trade groups have raised concerns about prediction markets. The NHL Players’ Association and other unions have urged the CFTC to bar athletes and team personnel from trading on their own leagues and to block markets tied to player injuries or penalties. The American Gaming Association has warned that league commercial partnerships with prediction platforms could sidestep state gambling regulations and tax frameworks.

Neither the CFTC nor the NHL cited any recent incidents of manipulation involving NHL event contracts when announcing the MOU; both organizations described the agreement as a preventive measure. The document formalizes a mechanism for confidential information sharing and coordinated action while leaving the league’s existing commercial arrangements and monitoring tools in place.