The kickoff of the NFL season each year presents an opportunity for fans to capitalize on generous promotional offers from major operators, making it a prime time for customer acquisition strategies. The current landscape of prediction markets has transformed the start of the season into a highly competitive promotion period, marked by the largest surge of marketing efforts since the repeal of PASPA in 2018. With significant financial backing from recent funding rounds, operators have turned to celebrity endorsements to attract attention. In the past week, commercials featuring figures like LeBron James, Sydney Sweeney, Marshawn Lynch, Jeremy Piven, and even Pete Sampras made waves, especially with Sampras appearing in a US Open ad for Kalshi after nearly two decades away from the spotlight.
Polymarket distinguished itself by signing high-profile names such as James, Eli Manning, and Derek Jeter. Meanwhile, Novig’s campaign, showcasing Sydney Sweeney in their "Just Sports" advertisement, gained significant traction, receiving over 9 million views on social media platform X by Friday afternoon. In the ad, Sweeney critiques competitors for their focus on niche betting opportunities, stating, "No betting on wars, or deaths…or politics," emphasizing Novig's dedication to sports betting exclusively.
In a landmark move during the 2025-26 NBA season, Kalshi allowed two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo partial ownership in the platform. According to reports, representatives for Sweeney articulated her interest in becoming an investor in Novig, leading to her receiving an undisclosed equity stake, underscoring the increasing prominence of celebrity involvement in this arena.
Connecticut is the latest state to take action against prediction markets, with Governor Ned Lamont mentioning concerns about their growth. Following the New England Patriots’ season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Lamont delivered remarks in Hartford, coinciding with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection issuing cease-and-desist orders to nine unregulated operators, including Polymarket, Robinhood, and Underdog Predict. Lamont asserted that while prediction markets claim to be legal and safe, they are not living up to Connecticut’s consumer protection standards.
Taking it a step further, the Connecticut Department also issued around 30 subpoenas targeting licensed gaming service providers and media outlets, including PayPal, Sportradar Solutions, and the payment processing app Plaid. Although these subpoenas are not tied to any investigations, they mark a significant development as the first undertaken against those supporting prediction markets.
Amidst these developments, two operators, Kalshi and Robinhood, are pursuing separate strategies to challenge a recent Ninth Circuit ruling, which determined that sports event contracts do not meet the criteria of federally regulated swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act. Kalshi has sought an en banc rehearing, while Robinhood has petitioned the Supreme Court, anticipating that a conflict between the Ninth and Third Circuits might compel Supreme Court review.
In other notable news, Real App, a social sports application that enhances live sporting events, has partnered with FanDuel to integrate their odds and contextual markets into its platform. Meanwhile, Fanatics Sports & Casino has improved its Fair Play product, adding first-half injury protection for player props, which proved beneficial for bettors in Wednesday's game when Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold exited early due to injury.
The American Gaming Association projects that approximately $40 billion will be wagered on NFL prediction markets this year. On the opening day of the 2026 college football season, Kalshi recorded nearly $250 million in trading volume, highlighting the growing momentum in the prediction markets as the season gets underway.
