The National Hockey League (NHL) has entered into a landmark partnership with Polymarket, becoming the first major U.S. professional sports league to formally align with a blockchain-based prediction platform. The multi-year agreement designates Polymarket as the league’s official prediction market partner, marking a significant crossover between professional sports and decentralized finance.
Polymarket confirmed the collaboration through an official announcement, indicating that users would be able to trade predictions on NHL-related outcomes with no fees, no house involvement, and no limits on trading volume. The platform plans to integrate official NHL branding and data feeds as part of the agreement, following a joint licensing arrangement involving both Polymarket and regulated prediction platform Kalshi, which grants access to the league’s intellectual property.
NHL executives reportedly view the partnership as a new way to increase audience engagement by offering real-time prediction trading tied to live game data. The league is expected to lean on verified feeds to ensure accuracy and transparency across the platform. The NHL’s Chief Business Officer, Keith Wachtel, stated that the move was intended to give fans a dynamic and compliant form of interaction, comparable to existing fantasy or sports wagering products, but backed by blockchain-based transparency.
Polymarket returned to the U.S. market earlier in 2025 after meeting Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) requirements, a move that allowed it to legally operate nationwide. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, the platform functions as a decentralized peer-to-peer system rather than acting as the house, with all activity executed through smart contracts.
The platform’s valuation has seen rapid growth, currently projected between USD 12 billion and USD 15 billion. That rise has been attributed in part to a USD 2 billion investment led by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent firm behind the New York Stock Exchange. The funding has reportedly boosted Polymarket’s regulatory infrastructure and operational scale.
However, industry pushback has already surfaced. The American Gaming Association has expressed concern that Polymarket’s minimum age requirement may not align with every state’s gambling regulations, even though the platform operates under federal oversight. State-level regulators may still review whether decentralized prediction markets fall under the definition of gambling or financial trading.
We’re honored and proud to be named the Official Prediction Market Partner of the NHL.
You can now trade with no fees, no house, & no limits. pic.twitter.com/XuFOboiklY
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) October 22, 2025
The announcement sparked immediate online attention, generating more than 100,000 social media discussions within two days. Independent sentiment trackers estimated that roughly 94 percent of public reaction leaned positive, with many users describing the partnership as a milestone for Web3 adoption in mainstream entertainment.
Polymarket enables users to trade on a wide range of sports-related predictions, including player performance metrics, match outcomes, and season forecasts. All activity is conducted on-chain using public and verifiable data, reinforcing the platform’s emphasis on transparency.
Kalshi’s CEO, Tarek Mansour, described the licensing arrangement as a turning point for prediction markets, while leadership from both platforms suggested the deal could accelerate participation not only in sports-based predictions but also in broader financial forecasting markets.
The partnership follows a broader trend in U.S. sports since the 2018 legalization of sports betting, with leagues seeking new digital engagement strategies beyond fantasy gaming and traditional wagering. NHL officials are reportedly optimistic that blockchain-powered prediction markets could expand viewership, especially during highly competitive periods such as the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While regulatory friction remains possible at the state level, analysts believe the deal may force new discussions about how decentralized prediction systems should be classified under U.S. law. The outcome of those debates could help define future rules for blockchain-driven participation models across the sports industry.
Polymarket, meanwhile, expects the alliance to increase trading volume and bring mainstream visibility to on-chain prediction markets, as other major sports leagues evaluate similar partnerships.
