Saquon Barkley says NFL rules forced him to sell his Polymarket stake

The Eagles running back said prediction markets are now off-limits to players under the league’s gambling policy.

Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley says he was forced to give up his ownership stake in Polymarket after the NFL clarified its restrictions on players investing in or promoting gambling-related businesses.

Barkley discussed the decision with Front Office Sports in an interview published Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The running back said the league informs players before each season about the companies and industries they may endorse or invest in, and that prediction markets are now off-limits under its gambling policy. “I was in it before, but no bueno,” Barkley told the publication.

The situation highlights the growing tension between professional sports leagues and prediction-market platforms, which allow users to trade contracts tied to the outcomes of real-world events, including sporting competitions. According to ESPN, a spokesperson for the NFL Players Association said earlier this year that the league considers prediction markets gambling entities.

Under the league’s gambling policy, players cannot serve as endorsers or brand ambassadors for companies such as Polymarket or Kalshi. Saquon Barkley’s departure from Polymarket reflects the restrictions’ implications for players who want to participate in the growing prediction-market industry as investors. The running back has developed an investment portfolio beyond football. A 2025 report by The Profile said he had invested more than $500,000 in startup companies, including artificial intelligence, financial technology and neuroscience ventures, alongside Polymarket.

The report did not specify the value of Barkley’s Polymarket stake when he divested. The NFL’s position differs from that of several other major professional sports leagues. The NBA, Major League Baseball, the NHL and Major League Soccer have entered partnerships with Kalshi, Polymarket or both. The dispute extends beyond individual players and sponsorship arrangements. These contracts can resemble traditional sports bets because their value depends on the outcome of sporting events. However, prediction-market operators have argued that their products are financial contracts subject to a different regulatory framework.

An NFL source told ESPN’s David Purdum that the league wants the Supreme Court to provide clarity quickly. The league would accept a federal regulatory framework if it provided an approach comparable to state-level regulation, the source said. The court’s potential review could have significant implications for how prediction markets operate and how sports organizations regulate their relationships with the industry.