How sports gambling could lead to Trump's next fight with the NFL
The NFL's embrace of online sports gambling could spark a regulatory showdown with the Trump administration over prediction markets and media rights.Summary
The future of online sports wagering in the U.S. is emerging as a potential flashpoint between President Trump and the NFL, a league he tried and failed to buy before entering politics. The NFL's massive growth has been fueled in part by the legalization of online gambling and fantasy sports, with more than $30 billion wagered on NFL games last season. The league has exclusive partnerships with major sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel worth hundreds of millions annually, and it benefits from an antitrust exemption under the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act that lets it pool media rights collectively. However, the Trump administration has signaled scrutiny: the Justice Department is reportedly considering a probe into the NFL's media rights dealmaking and antitrust exemption, the FCC has urged Congress to revamp the Sports Broadcasting Act, and the FTC is considering a probe into sportsbook marketing. A central conflict is the NFL's support for top sportsbooks against prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket, which the Trump administration has backed in court. The NFL filed an amicus brief supporting New Jersey's petition to the Supreme Court for stricter regulation of prediction markets, a move seen as a potential provocation. Legal experts expect the dispute over the definition of sports gambling to reach the Supreme Court. Critics argue the NFL's position is a calculated business tactic to protect its gambling interests, while the league's growth and profitability continue under Trump.
(Source：The Hill)