- Sportsbook prediction markets launched with fewer accountable gaming assets
- That’s in line with a report in Sportico, which highlighted the dearth of a helpline
A brand new report from Sportico highlights the variations between sportsbooks’ betting apps in contrast with their current prediction market launches.
A screengrab from a stay broadcast of Bloomberg Markets exhibits the launch of DraftKings Predictions on Dec. 19, 2025. Prediction markets from three conventional sportsbooks didn’t embrace the identical accountable gaming protocols as their on-line apps upon launch. (Picture: Bloomberg Markets)
Final month, Fanatics, DraftKings, and FanDuel respectively debuted Fanatics Markets, DraftKings Predictions, and FanDuel Predicts. The prediction markets are regulated by the Commodity Futures Buying and selling Fee (CFTC), with the web platforms and apps holding Designated Contract Market and Futures Fee Service provider licenses from the unbiased company of the federal authorities.
Prediction markets aren’t ruled by state gaming legal guidelines, which require a glut of accountable gaming safeguards. The CFTC requires no such protections, as CFTC licensees are prohibited from providing buying and selling contracts involving “gaming.”
Critics of Kalshi and the sportsbook prediction market entries argue that sports activities occasion contracts represent unlawful playing. State lawmakers, gaming regulators, and attorneys common have overwhelmingly reached that opinion.
Prediction Markets and Accountable Gaming
Opponents to CFTC-regulated prediction markets providing sports activities contracts say DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics launched such platforms to take sports activities bets in states the place such playing is prohibited, together with in California and Texas. Sportico Assistant Editor Dan Bernstein highlighted in a Friday report that the three sportsbooks that launched prediction markets supplied far fewer accountable gaming instruments of their prediction market apps than they do of their sports activities betting operations.
At launch, the businesses have solely introduced a few of the anti-addiction instruments from their cellular sportsbooks into their standalone prediction market apps. Whereas customers can set betting limits and lock their accounts within the new apps, the platforms didn’t instantly present playing habit hotline info, session time information, or the identical betting historical past visualizations,” Bernstein wrote.
Each state with industrial on line casino gaming requires operators to advertise accountable gaming assets. Within the 31 states and Washington, DC, which have regulated on-line sports activities betting, all require the web sportsbooks to incorporate a self-help hotline like 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-522-4700.
Prediction markets bypass state and tribal oversight and declare federal regulation by the CFTC, an company with no playing experience that oversees cattle futures and derivatives, not sportsbook operations and accountable gaming protocols,” added the American Gaming Affiliation (AGA).
DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics rescinded their AGA memberships earlier than launching their prediction markets.
Sportsbooks Reply
Within the wake of the Sportico report, FanDuel Predicts built-in the hotline quantity to the Nationwide Council on Drawback Playing (1-800-522-4700). A DraftKings spokesperson stated DraftKings Predictions has numerous accountable gaming instruments, together with deposit limits, cool-off choices, and self-exclusion.
Keith Whyte, the previous government director of the NCPG, now working for FanDuel Predicts, instructed Sportico that “we will’t simply assume one measurement suits all” as a result of “that is all new and there are variations between the verticals.”
Cole Wogoman, the NCPG’s authorities relations director and a former colleague of Whyte’s, supplied a special opinion.
“From an issue playing perspective, shopping for and promoting futures contracts via prediction markets is functionally playing, significantly when these contracts are tied to sports activities, an exercise lengthy related to playing,” Wogoman stated. “The authorized classification of prediction markets is irrelevant as to if it could contribute to a playing drawback.”
