Forthright with his views
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made some interesting prediction market-related comments ahead of the 2026 All-Star game over the weekend. He said on Saturday that the league is of the opinion that Kalshi and Polymarket are essentially offering the same product as sportsbooks.
Silver said that he thinks it will ultimately be Congress and the courts that decide whether “prediction markets are allowed to go forward in the form they’re in now.” They see themselves as financial products rather than sports betting.
off-the-record, invite-only event, so no details about the panel discussions have been revealed
The NBA hosted a panel on Friday at its NBA All-Star Tech Summit in California, featuring executives from top sportsbook operators like DraftKings and FanDuel, as well as the CEOs of Polymarket and Kalshi. This is an off-the-record, invite-only event, so no details about the panel discussions have been revealed. The topic up for debate was: “Prediction Markets: The Impact on Sports and Beyond.”
Getting to grips with betting activity
The NHL is the only one of the four major US sports leagues to have already partnered with Kalshi and Polymarket. The NBA, MLB, and NFL have resisted doing so to date. The UFC signed a deal with Polymarket in November that sees the brand’s logo appearing on the mats during fights.
NBA still has concerns about the level of betting on games globally
The NBA still has concerns about the level of betting on games globally, even if prediction markets “go away.” He highlighted tjat 40 US states have legalized sports betting as well as “probably 80 countries in the world.” He believes that the NBA needs to get a “better handle, no pun intended, on all the different activity that’s happening out there.”
Players taking stakes in prediction platforms
NBA Commissioner Silver also spoke on a controversy last week after two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed he was now an investor in Kalshi, with some questioning the ethics of an active player being a shareholder in a company that offers prediction markets on games he’s playing in.
his equity stake is permitted under the players’ collective bargaining agreement
Referring to the matter, Silver said his equity stake is permitted under the players’ collective bargaining agreement, as long as it’s less than 1% of the company. He said he understands Giannis’ investment is “minuscule” and well below that threshold.
The matter drew further controversy, especially as Giannis had been the subject of intense trade rumors up until the deadline the day before he announced his Kalshi ownership stake. Over $23m was bet on him being traded on Kalshi.
