Saquon Barkley revealed he was forced to divest his equity stake in Polymarket to comply with NFL rules prohibiting players from investing in gambling or prediction-market companies. Barkley told Front Office Sports that the league informs players annually about what they can and cannot endorse or invest in, and that involvement with prediction markets is no longer permitted.
An NFL Players Association spokesperson previously stated the league views prediction markets as gambling entities, barring players from serving as endorsers or brand ambassadors for companies like Kalshi or Polymarket under the gambling policy. Barkley has been active in investing, with over $500,000 allocated to startups such as Anthropic, Anduril, Ramp, Cognition, Neuralink, Strike, and Polymarket, per a 2025 Profile report.
The NFL's stance contrasts with the NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS, all of which have partnerships with Kalshi, Polymarket, or both. Earlier this month, the NFL asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether prediction markets' sports-event contracts fall under state gambling regulators' jurisdiction. A league source told ESPN's David Purdum that the NFL seeks quick clarity and would accept a federal framework matching state-level regulation.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing