CFTC Stays ProphetX's NFL 'Scorigami' Contracts, Presses Novig Over Micro-Bet Filings

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued an order on October 21, 2026 staying ProphetX's self-certified "Scorigami" NFL contracts - bets that pay out if any game in a given week ends on a final score never before recorded in league history - and separately sent letters to Novig questioning a series of narrower "micro" contracts, such as bets on which team scores first. Front Office Sports first reported both actions on October 22, 2026.

In its order, the CFTC said ProphetX, which had filed its scorigami contracts on October 14, failed to show the bets qualify as "swaps" under the Commodity Exchange Act, since a scorigami outcome has no identifiable financial or economic consequence outside the bet itself. The commission is presuming the certification false while it reviews the matter and gave ProphetX until November 18, 2026 to respond in writing; it took a similar approach with Novig's micro contracts, asking the company to explain how they comply with federal commodities law. ProphetX said it voluntarily agreed to defer listing the contracts pending review and has provided additional compliance analysis; Novig had not publicly responded as of this writing.

The actions are part of a broader review CFTC Chairman Michael Selig has been running ahead of the agency's planned final rulemaking on prediction markets, which already proposed restricting in-game props and limiting high-school sports markets back in June. Sources told Front Office Sports that senior CFTC officials have separately warned DraftKings and FanDuel they could face similar scrutiny if they list comparable micro contracts, and that the agency sent letters last month to Kalshi, Polymarket, Rothera, and Novig over incentive programs and potentially misleading promotions. Professional sports leagues have been some of the loudest critics of these narrow, game-level contracts - the NBA restricted similar player-prop and first-basket bets for its traditional sportsbook partners just last week.