Barkley forced to sell Polymarket stake by NFL — SkimNews
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- Saquon Barkley said 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.
- NFL Players Association spokesperson said earlier in the year that the league "views prediction markets as gambling entities, so players are not allowed to be an endorser or brand ambassador for a company like Kalshi or Polymarket under the gambling policy."
- Front Office Sports published Barkley's account Wednesday, in which he said the league briefs players before each season on what they can and can't endorse and invest in, adding, "I was in it before, but no bueno."
- Saquon Barkley has invested upwards of $500,000 in startups including Anthropic, Anduril, Ramp, Cognition, Neuralink, Strike and Polymarket, according to a 2025 report by The Profile, placing the divested stake inside a wider venture portfolio.
- NFL policy on prediction markets diverges from its peers: the NBA, Major League Baseball, NHL and MLS all have deals with either Kalshi, Polymarket or both, and the league's stance on prediction-market partnerships appears to differ from other sports.
- U.S. Supreme Court — the NFL asked the court earlier this month to review whether prediction markets' sports-event contracts, which mimic traditional sports betting, fall under the purview of state gambling regulators.
- ESPN's David Purdum reported that a league source says the NFL's primary desire is a quick answer on the issue and that the league would accept a federal framework if it provided the same regulatory approach as states.
Why it matters: Barkley, whose disclosed startup investments top $500,000, is out of a Polymarket position under an NFL rule barring player investments in prediction markets, while the NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS all keep deals with Kalshi or Polymarket. The NFL's Supreme Court petition seeks clarity on contracts that mimic sports betting.
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