Super Bowl Parlays Heading to DraftKings, FanDuel Prediction Markets

  • CME self-certifies multi-leg bets in CFTC filing
  • The exchange operator is FanDuel’s prediction markets partner
  • It’s also one of the exchanges to which DraftKings Predictions connects

Super Bowl combos — prediction market nomenclature for parlays — could be available on the event contracts platforms operated by DraftKings and FanDuel as soon as tomorrow.

CME
The CME Group logo. The exchange operator filed to bring Super Bowl parlays to the DraftKings and FanDuel prediction market platforms. (Image: CME Group)

That after CME Group (NASDAQ: CME) self-certified multi-leg Super Bowl event derivatives in a new filing with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) –– the federal regulator overseeing prediction markets in the US.

CME’s filing with the CFTC also indicates plans for NHL point spreads, event contracts on the upcoming Winter Olympics, and the Grammy Awards. Other prediction market operators have leaned on self-certification to bring football parlays to market.

Under that process, a prediction market or exchange operator in the case of CME alerts the CFTC to its plans to bring new contracts to market. Those filings include a date on which the company intends to offer the derivatives. If the commission doesn’t respond before that date, those new event contracts are made available to customers.

Super Bowl Could Be Big for Prediction Markets

Some analysts are forecasting a modest downturn in overall Super Bowl wagering while acknowledging some of the pressure on traditional sportsbooks comes by way of prediction markets. Slated for Sunday, Feb. 8, Super Bowl LX marks the first edition of the big game where event contract platforms will feature broad sports menus, including parlays.

The Super Bowl could also be an important test and client acquisition tool for DraftKings Predictions and FanDuel Predicts, both of which are new to prediction markets arena. DraftKings launched its event contracts platform in 38 states last month, but sports event contracts aren’t available in all of those jurisdictions, but those derivatives are available in California, Texas, Florida, and Georgia – states long coveted by sportsbook operators.

FanDuel Predicts, the prediction market platform of CME Group and the sportsbook giant, debuted in five states last month and is now available in all 50. The app, which is separate from the standard FanDuel sportsbook app, features sports event contracts in just 18 states. California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas are part of that group.

FanDuel, a unit of Flutter Entertainment, and Chicago Mercantile Exchange owner CME Group announced their partnership last August.

CME Tapping Into Hockey Event Contracts

While the NHL trails the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball in terms of betting handle, the top pro hockey league was the first of its counterparts to widely embrace prediction markets, inking deals with Kalshi and Polymarket.

Whether or not that stokes increased interest among prediction markets bettors and traders remains to be seen, but CME is rolling the dice. The exchange operator is also attempting to self-certify derivatives on Olympic hockey games and medal counts, indicating those are the only Olympic events it will feature on the DraftKings and FanDuel platforms.

As for the Grammy contracts, those are as follows: Album, record, and song of the year and best new artist.

Todd Shriber
Todd Shriber Financial Reporter

Todd Shriber is a senior news reporter covering gaming financials, casino business, stocks, and mergers and acquisitions for Casino.org.

Todd got his start in financial markets as a reporter with Bloomberg News. Later, he became a trader at a Southern California-based long/short hedge fund, where he specialized in the trading sector and international ETFs leading up to and during the financial crisis. He joined Casino.org in 2019.

Currently, Todd analyzes, researches, and writes on ETFs for various web-based publications and financial services firms. Shriber has been featured and quoted in Barron's, CNBC.com, and The Wall Street Journal. His work can also be found on Benzinga, ETF Daily News, ETF Trends, MarketWatch, Fox Business, and Nasdaq.com.

He currently resides in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golf and taking his black lab to the dog park. He's also an avid sports fan and likes to wager on college football and the NBA. You can also find him at the three-card poker and roulette table, even though he knows better.

Contact Todd at todd.shriber@casino.org.

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