The NFL is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a hotly contested legal battle over prediction markets, arguing that the federal regulatory body overseeing the burgeoning industry may not be equipped to protect the integrity of sports.
The NFL's amicus brief filed Thursday supports New Jersey's request for a Supreme Court review on whether prediction markets' sports-event contracts, which mimic traditional sports betting, fall under the purview of state gambling regulators. Attorneys general for 39 states and the District of Columbia on Wednesday also filed an amicus brief in support of New Jersey.
A league source told ESPN that its primary desire is for the court to provide clarity on the issue quickly and that the NFL would accept a federal framework if it provided the same regulatory approach as states.
In September, New Jersey asked the Supreme Court to review the legal battle over prediction markets after federal appeals courts made opposing rulings about whether states can enforce gambling laws against Kalshi, a leading U.S. prediction market. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against New Jersey and barred it from enforcing its gambling laws, while the 9th Circuit ruled against Kalshi in Nevada and said sports contracts fall under state laws.