Key Takeaways
- The New York Mets are the first MLB team to sign an exclusive prediction market partner, giving Novig advertising rights at Citi Field and during broadcasts.
- Unlike sportsbooks, Novig lets users trade against each other instead of betting against the house.
- The partnership follows MLB integrity rules that ban certain high-risk markets, including bets on individual pitches, umpire calls, and manager decisions.
The New York Mets have become the first Major League Baseball team to sign an exclusive prediction market partnership. The club announced a multi-year deal with Novig on Thursday, showing that prediction markets are becoming a bigger part of professional sports.
The agreement comes only months after MLB named Polymarket as its official league-wide prediction market partner. Together, the deals show that baseball is taking prediction markets more seriously.
A First for an MLB Team, and How Novig Is Different From Sportsbooks
The Mets are the first individual MLB team to partner with a prediction market company.
While MLB’s agreement with Polymarket covers the entire league, the Mets’ deal is separate and applies only to the team. It gives Novig branding at Citi Field and opportunities to create promotions and digital content for fans.
Novig launched in 2024 with support from investment firm Pantera Capital. It now competes with other prediction market companies like Polymarket, Kalshi, and Robinhood.
Financial terms of the Mets agreement were not released.
Novig works differently than sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, or BetMGM.
Sportsbooks make money by taking bets against customers. Novig instead matches users with one another, acting as a marketplace and earning money from trades instead of betting results.
A Novig spokesperson said this creates a fairer system because the company does not benefit when customers lose.
Another major difference is pricing. Instead of oddsmakers setting betting lines, users help determine market prices through trading.
Integrity Rules Remain in Place
Even with the new partnership, Novig must follow MLB’s integrity rules.
As an MLB Authorized Prediction Market, Novig cannot offer markets on individual pitches, umpire decisions, or specific manager choices. MLB considers these events more vulnerable to manipulation because a single person can influence the outcome.
The league has become more careful after several recent gambling-related investigations.
In 2025, two Cleveland Guardians pitchers faced federal charges over alleged prop betting and insider information. In 2024, San Diego Padres’ infielder Tucupita Marcano received a lifetime ban for violating MLB’s gambling rules. Although those cases involved sportsbooks instead of prediction markets, they have influenced MLB’s approach to betting partnerships.
MLB’s Growing Prediction Market Strategy
In March, MLB named Polymarket its official league-wide prediction market partner. The league also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to share information about possible integrity concerns involving baseball-related prediction markets.
Prediction markets are regulated differently than sportsbooks. Instead of following state gambling laws, they operate under federal derivatives regulations. That means companies like Novig and Polymarket face a different set of rules than sportsbooks regulated in states such as New York or New Jersey.
What’s Next?
MLB has not said whether more teams will sign their own prediction market partnerships or if the league will expand beyond its current agreement with Polymarket.
For now, the Mets are leading the way. As prediction markets continue to grow, other MLB teams may decide to follow. How quickly that happen, and how these partnerships develop, will be something to watch during the rest of the 2026 season.
You must be logged in to comment. Don't have an account? Sign up today.