Polymarket has reversed course on a new line of NFL prediction contracts, pulling its self-certified player participation filings from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission just a day after submitting them.
The withdrawal covers a Patrick Mahomes-specific contract as well as a broader certification for other players to be named throughout the season. Polymarket‘s decision comes on the heels of Kalshi self-certifying similar contracts, and proceeding as planned.
What was filed and what got pulled
Polymarket’s original self-certification was dated on Aug. 25. The first filing involved the availability of Kansas City Chiefs’ starting quarterback, who is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last year.
Polymarket listed the contract as follows:
- Will Patrick Mahomes participate in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 1 regular-season game?
- Category: Sport
- Type: Event Contract
The second filing was the broader scope of the event contract. It would have allowed Polymarket to list such contracts as:
Will {participant} participate in {event}?
Both filings were withdrawn from the CFTC registry a day later, with no explanation given.
Starter designation contracts
Polymarket self-certified two more contracts earlier this week, which involve players starting in a particular event. The company filed a Josh Allen contract:
Will Josh Allen be the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL regular season?
The second filing, once again, captures a broader idea of the contract, stating:
Will {participant} be the starting {position} for {team} in {event}?
These contracts have not been withdrawn.
NFL distances itself from ‘objectionable bets’
The NFL announced multi-year partnerships with three sports betting operators on Thursday, which include Fanatics, FanDuel and DraftKings.
In the NFL’s press release, the league made clear that the three operators are “working together to prohibit wagers the league finds objectionable.” Those include wagers tied to officiating and injuries, anything that can be “knowable in advance” and can be manipulated by a single person.
Polymarket’s withdrawn contracts did not mention the contracts are tied to player injuries in the filing, and neither does Kalshi’s, though whether a player plays is typically related to how healthy they are.
