Key Moments
- Robinhood rolled out new player performance-based sports event contracts, expanding beyond game outcome wagers.
- The expansion comes as regulators in some states seek tighter scrutiny of sports-linked event contracts.
- Monthly prediction market trading value has risen to over $13 billion from less than $100 million in early 2024, according to a Keyrock and Dune report.
New Layer of Sports-Focused Contracts
Robinhood announced that customers will be able to place wagers on the on-field performance of individual professional football players through a new set of sports-related event contracts launched on Tuesday.
Previously, users were limited to contracts tied to the final outcome of a game. The newly introduced instruments allow more granular positioning, including whether a specific player scores a touchdown and the total number of yards they pass or rush.
The Menlo Park, California-based online brokerage is aiming to carve out a more distinctive position in a rapidly expanding segment that is attracting numerous competitors.
$HOOD just held another successful event – their fifth this year. I'll share more in-depth thoughts tomorrow, but here's what I want to say:
The more people hate on event contracts and remain skeptical, the higher the odds Robinhood will dominate this space and eventually become… pic.twitter.com/FOfBsdpruT
— Juan (@JuanRodrig07) December 17, 2025
Competitive Landscape and Regulatory Scrutiny
Robinhood executives see first-mover advantages even as the field becomes more crowded. There are a plethora of competitors. But with us being early to market, we’ve been able to fine-tune our product,
said Adam Hickerson, senior director of futures at Robinhood.
The expansion is unfolding as some state regulators pursue stricter oversight of the sector. Critics contend that event contracts closely resemble traditional sports betting and may fuel speculative behavior among retail traders.
Industry participants, on the other hand, maintain that these products fall under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and are designed to comply with its derivatives framework.
Hickerson did not address the specific legal challenges confronting the industry, but stated that Robinhood intends to comply with all applicable CFTC rules.
Product Features: Player Props and Preset Combos
Alongside individual player performance contracts, Robinhood also launched “preset combos.” These allow customers to bundle multiple predictions from a single game into one contract. The combined position pays out only if each component forecast proves correct.
| Product Type | Underlying Outcome | Payout Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Game result contract | Final outcome of a professional football game | Pays if the predicted game result is correct |
| Player performance contract | Specific player metrics (e.g., touchdowns, yards thrown or run) | Pays if the individual player prediction is correct |
| “Preset combo” contract | Multiple predictions from the same game tied into one contract | Pays only if every prediction in the combo is correct |
Event Contracts and Prediction Market Volumes
Event contracts drew heightened interest ahead of the U.S. presidential election last year. These instruments typically offer a fixed payoff structure in which a correct forecast returns $1 per contract.
Trading activity in prediction markets has risen significantly. The monthly value of trades has climbed to over $13 billion, compared with less than $100 million in early 2024, according to a report by crypto investor Keyrock and blockchain data firm Dune.
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