Polymarket is officially partnering with Major League Soccer.
Soccer United Marketing, the commercial arm of MLS, announced Monday a multi-year agreement naming Polymarket the league’s official and exclusive prediction market partner. The deal also covers the MLS All-Star Game, MLS Cup presented by Audi, and Leagues Cup in the United States.
The partnership marks the first global soccer league to integrate prediction market data. It also comes as prediction markets face growing legal and regulatory scrutiny around the country.
Polymarket predictions in the MLS
Under the agreement, Polymarket and MLS plan to develop new digital fan experiences across league-controlled platforms, with a focus on live match engagement and second-screen interaction. The league said those efforts will surface real-time “collective sentiment” around matches, key moments, and season-long storylines.
“As soccer’s audience continues to grow and evolve in the U.S., fans are looking for new ways to engage more deeply with the game,” Polymarket founder and CEO Shayne Coplan said in a statement.
The deal comes as North America prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer.
Regulatory uncertainty persists
Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi allow users to trade on yes-or-no outcomes of events and argue they function as federally regulated financial markets, rather than sportsbooks. That distinction has allowed them to operate nationwide, including in states where sports betting remains illegal.
But state gaming regulators have increasingly challenged that framework. Earlier this month, Nevada moved to block Polymarket, echoing similar actions taken against competitors in other states.
MLS acknowledged those concerns in its announcement, emphasizing that the partnership includes safeguards designed to protect match integrity.
According to MLS, the agreement includes independent monitoring of trading activity and collaboration on which markets are offered. Individuals with access to nonpublic information, including players, referees, league and club staff, and owners, will be prohibited from trading on MLS-related markets.
