FanDuel and DraftKings have filed requests to provide parlay-style prediction markets in time for Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026.
A Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filing by CME Group – the derivatives exchange organization partnered with both operators – to allow sports parlay predictions was submitted on January 27.
If accepted, the nation's two biggest sports betting operators would be permitted to supply parlay prediction options in states where traditional sportsbooks are illegal.
'Pro football combos' to mimic traditional sportsbook parlays
In the CME Group filing, parlay-style predictions are branded as 'Event Contract Swaps on Pro Football Championship Combos'.
Essentially, these predictions products would allow users to buy shares on the outcome of several in-game events and statistics as part of one selection. According to examples outlined in CME Group documentation, this how a pick might look in action:
- Team to win the game
- Player to score a touchdown
- Total points to be over or under a defined figure
Each outcome must occur exactly as predicted for the user to win.
It is anticipated that football combination predictions will debut as fixed options rather than customizable, player-chosen selections – at least for the moment.
Should CME Group follow Kalshi in aligning with a liquidity provider for user-specific picks, the derivatives exchange could support a greater range of outcomes. Such a measure was not outlined in this latest submission.
CFTC framework allows for immediate integration
The CME Group is filing its new predictions market option via the CFTC's controversial self-certification framework. Under this protocol, organizations may introduce derivative trading opportunities – such as parlay-style predictions – without being given the go-ahead from commission members.
Consequently, DraftKings and FanDuel can debut 'Pro football combos' unless CFTC officials do not step in the way.
This relaxed process has been maligned by the NCAA and NBA, who contend that the freedom for predictions platforms to provide various sports-facing markets breaks longstanding procedures observed by traditional sportsbooks.
But, because CME Group is federally regulated by the CFTC, its associated trading partners are not subject to state oversight – culminating in significant legal friction between states and operators.
Super Bowl presents tantalizing opportunity for parlay predictions revenue
For sportsbook and gambling-adjacent operators, the Super Bowl represents an annual opportunity to attract new customers and garner increased revenue.
Data from last year's Super Bowl demonstrates that domestic players spent over $1.5bn on the 'Big Game', with an estimated $1.7bn expected to be wagered during Super Bowl LX.
Thus, it behooves operators to propose new products and markets – standing still is simply not an option in an era of escalating revenue expectations.
Parlay betting is among the nation's most popular gambling verticals. In December 2025, New Jersey reported that around 65% of total wagers fall under the parlay umbrella, resulting in a 19.2% win rate for sportsbooks.
In contrast, non-parlay wagers accounted for just 5.2% of sportsbook wins during the same period.
Equally revealing is analysis by sales, trading and equity research group Citizens JMP, who estimates that more than half of all Super Bowl wagering comprises player prop bets – a market often central to parlay selections.
FanDuel and DraftKings competitors are also jumping aboard the innovation train – Crypto.com Kalshi and Robinhood each published combination-style predictions contracts ahead of this month's Super Bowl.
Kalshi's success throughout 2025 drew the attention of traditional sports betting operators, driving the likes of FanDuel and DraftKings toward derivatives sports trading.
Parlay contracts to extend beyond football
Albeit vital, football is just one vital component intertwined with a wider project for CME Group.
Also included in the CFTC filing is a request to offer international hockey and Winter Olympics predictions – a timely suggestion given that the latter is due to commence on February 6, 2026.
Moreover, the Winter Olympics will host a hockey tournament involving international teams from competing nations.
A separate document seeking to invoke predictions trading for The Grammys – a yearly awards show dedicated to pre-eminent music artists – resides alongside the aforementioned sports-based submissions. Specifically, the organization proposes exchange options for 'Album of the Year' and similar categories.
Like the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics, the 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony is due to be held in February.
Prediction market commercials banned despite trading innovation
In the face of controversial-yet-successful national market entries and a notable lack of CFTC opposition against untried products, CME Group and its competitors have found a new enemy: the National Football League.
As DraftKings and FanDuel prepare to roll out parlay predictions trading ahead of Super Bowl LX, the NFL has prescribed sports derivatives exchanges as 'prohibited categories' expressly banned from event advertising.
Word comes by way of Front Office Sports – where it was revealed that the league shall continue to bar commercials tied to sports exchanges.
Importantly, this restriction only applies to an operator's prediction product and will not prevent companies from advertising sportsbook fare. Only a limited number of gambling commercials may be broadcast during the event.
Regulatory intervention a real risk
Many regulatory unknowns continue to cloud the still-fledgling sports predictions industry.
In the event that the CFTC decides to block CME Group from offering parlay-style trading, both DraftKings and FanDuel will suffer against rivals already supporting similar facilities.
More pressing is mounting nationwide litigation – although Kalshi and Polymarket have taken the brunt of recent legal attacks, CME Group partners are not immune from potential ramifications.
In Massachusetts, a court judge ruled that the state can block Kalshi from providing sports markets.
Meanwhile, over 25 states are jointly supporting legal proceedings against Polymarket in Nevada.
Similar anti-predictions procedures have been reported in New York, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, among other states.
Yet, sports predictions markets look set to remain relevant for the long haul. It is less a matter of whether these products will be permitted, but more a question of how they will persist.
