MGC Chair Maynard Tells House Panel Prediction Markets Evade State Sports Betting Rules
Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair Jordan Maynard told a House subcommittee on 11 November that prediction markets sidestep state betting rules.
Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) Chair Jordan Maynard told a House subcommittee on Wednesday 11 November 2026 that prediction markets are illegally offering sports wagering in Massachusetts, and he said Congress has a role in setting minimum standards.
What happened at the hearing
Maynard was a witness at a hearing titled "The Rise of Sports Gambling on College Campuses," held by the House Education & Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development. It started at 10:15 a.m. in 2175 Rayburn. Vice Chair Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) chaired the session, according to the committee notice.
The MGC is the state agency that regulates sports wagering in Massachusetts. Maynard used his slot to argue that event contracts on sports, which are traded on prediction market platforms such as Kalshi, create a parallel market that state regulators cannot police.
Maynard's case against sports event contracts
According to CDC Gaming Reports, Maynard described sports event contracts as "sports wagers by another name." He said the platforms avoid state laws, state taxes and the regulatory and problem-gambling requirements that licensed sportsbooks must meet.
He went further on legality. Trade reports quote him saying prediction markets are "illegally offering sports wagering in Massachusetts." He also endorsed Attorney General Andrea Campbell's lawsuit against Kalshi, the state's court challenge to the platform's sports contracts.
His consumer-facing argument was that licensed and unlicensed products are hard to tell apart. InGame reports he told the panel there are "two sets of products that look exactly the same" from the user's point of view. He added that the commission gets calls about businesses it does not regulate.
According to Gambling Insider, an MGC spokesperson separately said the agency has handled dozens of consumer inquiries about platforms outside its authority.
The Massachusetts rulebook he put on the record
Maynard's written testimony, as summarized by RG.org, laid out the state's controls on sports betting and set them against the contract-based model:
| Massachusetts control | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum betting age | 21 and over |
| Campus advertising | Banned on college campuses |
| Individual athlete props | Prop bets on individual college athletes banned |
| In-state college teams | Betting banned outside tournaments |
| Age verification | At least 11,000 under-21 account openings prevented |
The contrast was the point. Licensed operators in Massachusetts work under these limits, while the contracts Maynard criticized do not, in his account. For earlier coverage of the state's player-protection work, see Gamingo's report on Massachusetts problem gambling data collection.
The federal question
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is the federal agency that oversees derivatives markets, and it claims exclusive jurisdiction over event contracts. Maynard said the CFTC "is not equipped to regulate sports wagering to our standards." His written testimony put it more bluntly, saying the agency is not equipped to or interested in running nationwide consumer sports betting markets.
That sets him against the agency's own position. According to Gaming Intelligence, the CFTC took legal action against Massachusetts and New York earlier in 2026 to protect its claim to sole jurisdiction over prediction markets.
Maynard did not argue for leaving Washington out. According to InGame, he said there is "a place for federal interaction, at least," and floated minimum advertising standards, a floor that states could build on.
The federal posture has been shifting in other ways. Gamingo reported that the CFTC signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding as the NBA chose Kalshi and Polymarket, covered in NBA prediction markets pact: CFTC MOU.
What operators and regulators should watch
The hearing adds a congressional venue to a dispute that has so far played out in state courts and licensing offices. Ohio, for example, told gaming licensees to cut ties with prediction markets by 30 October or risk their licenses, as covered in Ohio's licensee warning.
Volume is the commercial backdrop. Gamingo's analysis of record September prediction market activity showed contract volume rising while US sportsbook handle stayed flat across 15 states. Separately, the ACDC report on congressional prediction market bets has kept lawmakers' attention on the products.
For licensed operators, the practical points are:
- Advertising floor: a federal minimum for advertising would affect marketing compliance across all states, not just Massachusetts.
- Jurisdiction fight: the Kalshi lawsuit and the CFTC's actions against state regulators remain the main routes to a ruling on who controls sports contracts.
- College focus: the hearing's campus theme points to scrutiny of prop bets on individual athletes and of advertising near campuses.
Status reviewed on 12 November 2026. Hearing details come from the House Education & Workforce Committee notice, and Maynard's remarks come from trade press reports of the hearing and his written testimony. More regulation news and North America coverage.
Frequently asked questions
What did the MGC chair tell Congress about prediction markets?
Jordan Maynard, chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, told a House subcommittee on 11 November 2026 that sports event contracts function as sports wagers while avoiding state laws, taxes and problem-gambling requirements. He said they are illegally offering sports wagering in Massachusetts and that the CFTC is not equipped to regulate it to state standards.
Which House hearing did Jordan Maynard testify at?
He appeared at "The Rise of Sports Gambling on College Campuses," held by the House Education & Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development. It began at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday 11 November 2026 in 2175 Rayburn. Vice Chair Michael Baumgartner, a Washington Republican, chaired the session.
Does Massachusetts allow betting on college sports?
Partly. Massachusetts sets a betting age of 21 and bans advertising on college campuses. It prohibits prop bets on individual college athletes and bars wagers on in-state college teams outside tournaments. Maynard outlined these rules in written testimony to the House subcommittee on 11 November 2026.
Why does the MGC oppose Kalshi's sports contracts?
Maynard argued that Kalshi-style sports contracts look the same to consumers as licensed sportsbook products but sit outside state oversight. He endorsed Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell's lawsuit against Kalshi and said the contracts avoid the taxes and consumer protections that licensed operators must meet.
What federal role did Maynard suggest for sports betting?
Maynard said there is a place for federal interaction, at least. He floated minimum advertising standards, described as a floor, that states could build on. He did not endorse the CFTC as a sports betting regulator, saying it lacks the capacity and interest to oversee nationwide consumer markets.
