CFTC proposes to define event contracts including sports and politics as swaps
The CFTC has opened a short comment window on a proposal to write event contracts into the definition of swap under the Commodity Exchange Act. The move stakes out exclusive federal jurisdiction over contracts based on sports, politics, cultural and weather events. Anyone offering or trading these products, or watching the jurisdictional line between federal and other oversight, should read how the agency frames them.
- The NPRM proposes to expressly define "swap" to include event contracts based on sports, politics, cultural and weather-related events.
- The CFTC states these contracts are commodity derivatives within its exclusive jurisdiction under the Commodity Exchange Act.
- Written comments must be received via Regulations.gov within 30 days of the NPRM's publication in the Federal Register.
- Chairman Michael S. Selig said Americans use event contracts to hedge risks, speculate and provide information about future outcomes.
Executive summary
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission on October 9, 2026 published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would expressly further define the term "swap" to include event contracts, including those based on sports, politics, cultural, and weather-related events. The CFTC describes…
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Source documents
https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9310-26Read by Regulus 13 Oct 2026 at 10:09 UTC
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