The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Major League Baseball (MLB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to officially conclude a strategic partnership.
Establishes a framework for technical cooperation and information sharing aimed at protecting the integrity of the sport and monitoring prediction markets, such as polymarkets related to the outcomes of American professional baseball.
This agreement allows users to Make predictions about real-world events.
In light of this expansion, the CFTC aims to establish tools to prevent fraud, market manipulation, and other financial abuses that can undermine both participants and the transparency of sports competitions.
CFTC Chairman Michael Selig noted that this step is essential to provide the CFTC with a mechanism to ensure the resilience of these environments. Selig thanked MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for partnering with MLB and playing a leading role in protecting the health of these growing markets.
This cooperation mechanism will allow both entities to exchange information “in a manner consistent with current law” and coordinate rapid responses to incidents detected on trading platforms. Predict emerging trends in the use of event contracts.
MLB betting and predictions are common at Polymarket. A quick search on the platform reveals 206 active contracts to date betting on which team will win this year’s World Series, or which teams will win the American and National Leagues. Seen below.
The move also strengthens the CFTC’s position regarding exclusive federal jurisdiction over digital assets. As reported by CriptoNoticias, regulators are defending such future event contracts as being treated as regulated financial instruments rather than simple games of chance with local oversight.
The signing of the document between MLB and the CFTC will be made public days before the Diamond case begins. The 2026 Major League Baseball regular season is scheduled to begin on March 26th.
With the signing of this document, MLB becomes the first professional league to formally partner with financial regulators to oversee prediction markets.
This measure is aimed not only at justifying the existence of these markets under strict surveillance, but also at predicting information manipulation and ensuring the growth of crypto gambling. It does not compromise the transparency of sports or the financial system.