Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has signaled a major shift in the league’s stance toward high-stakes forecasting. During an owners’ meeting in Palm Beach, Manfred revealed that the league is considering formal partnerships with prediction market giants like Kalshi and Polymarket. This move follows the footsteps of the NHL, UFC, and MLS, all of which have recently embraced these platforms despite their controversial nature and federal regulatory complexities.
The primary motivation behind this potential alliance is safeguarding the “integrity” of baseball. Following a scandal last season where Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz faced federal charges for an alleged pitch-rigging scheme, the league is looking for better ways to monitor betting patterns. Manfred emphasized that prediction markets operate under different federal regulations compared to state-by-state sports betting, potentially offering a more transparent layer of protection for the sport. While the NFL remains hesitant—even banning such ads during Super Bowl 2026—MLB is moving closer to the NBA’s tech-forward approach, especially after Giannis Antetokounmpo recently took an ownership stake in Kalshi.