Saquon Barkley says the NFL made him sell his equity stake in Polymarket after the league clarified that players are barred from investing in or promoting prediction market companies.
“I am not in that right now,” the Eagles running back told Front Office Sports. “I am not allowed to be in that … I was in it before, but no bueno.”
Barkley’s stake in Polymarket first came to light in September 2025, when it was revealed as one of several private startup investments in his portfolio.
He had joined a growing list of star athletes cashing in on the prediction market boom. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo became a shareholder in Polymarket rival Kalshi in February. LeBron James struck a Polymarket partnership in September reportedly worth $15 million a year. Golfer Bryson DeChambeau became Kalshi’s first official athlete ambassador earlier this year, and NBA players Kyle Kuzma and Breanna Stewart have also partnered with Kalshi.
The NFL has taken a different path than other leagues. It maintains official partnerships with sportsbooks DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics, but has refused to establish similar deals with prediction market operators.
Earlier this month, the league urged the Supreme Court to take up a legal challenge involving Kalshi, arguing that sports-related prediction markets should be subject to state gambling regulation. League officials have pointed to risks of insider trading and manipulation tied to injuries, officiating calls and other outcomes that insiders could know in advance.
Other leagues have moved in the opposite direction. The NBA announced partnerships with both Kalshi and Polymarket this week, while MLB and the NHL each struck prediction market deals earlier this year. The NFL remains the holdout.
