The U.S. National Hockey League has forged partnerships with regulated online prediction platforms Kalshi and Polymarket, marking the first time a major sports league has officially embraced crypto-focused prediction platforms.
The league plans to unveil these multi-year licensing deals soon, positioning itself at the forefront of an emerging betting landscape that threatens to reshape how fans engage with games. Traditional giants like DraftKings now face fresh competition from these blockchain-based upstarts.
Prediction Markets Gain Momentum
Both Polymarket and Kalshi have reported robust growth recently. In September 2025, Polymarket launched new market products, including public-company earnings predictions and expanded athletic event contracts, positioning it to surpass its prior monthly volume records. Kalshi’s daily active markets surged to 79,000 prediction pairs in September, with trading volumes soaring to $2.4 billion in sports alone over four weeks in early October, driving its annualized volume toward $50 billion in 2025.
The financial backing of both platforms is also strong. Kalshi recently secured over $300 million in funding, catapulting its valuation to $5 billion. Polymarket attracted even bigger money when Intercontinental Exchange engaged $2 billion in an investment deal that values the company somewhere between $8 billion and $10 billion.
These partnerships signal a significant shift in professional sports’ approach to gambling markets. Industry observers hope that the new partnership will lead to a cascading effect of making hockey even more popular among sports lovers.
