TLDR
- Eagles running back Saquon Barkley says NFL rules forced him to sell his stake in Polymarket.
- The NFL treats prediction markets as gambling businesses under its Gambling Policy.
- Players can’t invest in or promote sportsbooks or prediction markets, but mutual funds and index funds are allowed.
- The NFL filed a brief this month asking the US Supreme Court to take up the prediction market debate.
- New Jersey petitioned the court to decide if states can apply sports betting rules to CFTC-regulated event contracts.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has sold his stake in Polymarket, a prediction market platform. He said NFL rules do not allow him to own it.
Barkley shared the news in an interview with Front Office Sports this week. He explained that league rules bar players from investing in prediction markets that offer trading on sports.
“I was in it before, but no bueno,” Barkley said. “I am not allowed to be in that.”
Barkley is an active investor in several tech startups. His holdings include fintech firm Ramp and Anduril Industries, which builds autonomous systems for defense.
Reports surfaced in late 2025 that Barkley had invested in Polymarket. The platform is a decentralized prediction market that lets users trade on the outcomes of sports events.
Barkley earned about $50 million during his time with the New York Giants. He then signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles in 2024, with $26 million guaranteed.
What the NFL Gambling Policy Says
The NFL generally bans players from directly owning equity in gambling companies. However, players may hold mutual funds and index funds that include gaming stocks.
As Polymarket and similar platforms grew their sports offerings, the league clarified its policy. It now treats prediction markets the same as traditional gambling businesses.
Under the updated rules, covered personnel cannot invest in or promote sportsbooks or prediction markets.
“The NFL views prediction markets as gambling entities,” an NFL spokesperson said. “Players are not allowed to endorse or invest in a company like Polymarket under the Gambling Policy.”
The policy states that covered personnel “shall not work for, own or operate, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, individually or through any business organization, any casino… or other gambling-related enterprise.”
NFL Pushes Supreme Court to Weigh In
The NFL supports legal sports betting but opposes sports prediction markets. Earlier this month, the league filed an amicus brief with the US Supreme Court.
The brief backs the court taking up the legal debate over sports prediction markets.
The NFL argues that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is not equipped to regulate these markets. The league says the agency cannot ensure they are protected from manipulation.
“The NFL’s highest priority is preserving the integrity of its games,” the filing said. It added that the league has worked with legal sportsbooks and state gaming authorities to build a framework with “core integrity protections.”
The matter reached the Supreme Court through a petition from New Jersey. The state is asking the court to decide whether states can apply their own sports betting rules to event contracts regulated by the CFTC.
