Laila Mintas Files for CFTC Approval of 365Prediction as a Federally Regulated Event-Contract Exchange
Former PlayUp US CEO Laila Mintas has filed an application with the CFTC to operate a federally regulated event-contract exchange through her startup 365Prediction. Founded in February, the company seeks designation as a designated contract market under CFTC oversight. The move positions sports-event contracts as exchange-traded products rather than state-regulated gambling.
The filing outlines a fully collateralized exchange that would clear trades through affiliated clearinghouse Next Gen Clearing, LLC. 365Prediction has also licensed Eventus surveillance technology to monitor trading activity and detect potential market abuses. Corporate filings list a board that includes Mintas, sports betting executive Leo Gaspar, Olympic gold medalist and former Sports Innovation Lab CEO Angela Ruggiero, Gerald Szatvanyi, David Lamb, and Kristy Gale.
This application arrives as prediction markets draw increasing interest. It follows months of public advocacy from Mintas on the regulatory path forward.
Mintas Positions Sports-Event Contracts as Exchange Products
The filing builds directly on Mintas’s repeated public arguments that prediction markets should fall under federal oversight. In a detailed comment submitted to the CFTC’s prediction market rulemaking process, she contended that event contracts differ fundamentally from traditional sports betting. Participants trade contracts with one another rather than wagering against a bookmaker.
She advanced the same view during a recent panel at NEXT Summit New York. “Sports event contracts are not betting,” Mintas said. “You trade them like a stock exchange.”
“You don’t bet against a house that always wins … You trade on an exchange.”
In Gambling Insider’s 2026 industry predictions feature, Mintas forecasted that prediction markets will ultimately surpass traditional sports betting. “State-by-state sports betting is dead and will only be used by the local casino providers such as BetMGM and Caesars, while prediction market companies and regulation will take over the market in 2026,” she said.
365Prediction has also partnered with FiscalNote on its planned expansion into political prediction markets. During a February FiscalNote-hosted discussion, Mintas said her team launched the company because it viewed prediction markets as a significant growth opportunity. “Sitting back on the sidelines and watching the market was not an option for us,” Mintas said.
“We want to play in this market. We want to capitalize in this market.”
She added that current prediction market offerings remain “far away from being perfect.” 365Prediction aims to differentiate itself through technology and product development.
A Recognizable Operator Brings Experience to the Application
Mintas enters the prediction market space with deep industry credentials. Over the past two decades, she has held senior positions across sports betting, gaming, sports integrity, and sports data sectors. Her resume includes leadership roles at Sportradar, FIFA, CONCACAF, PlayEngine, and Bet.Works, the sports betting technology company acquired by Bally’s in 2020.
She also served as CEO of PlayUp US during the company’s expansion into the American sports betting market. Her tenure drew attention after the collapse of PlayUp’s proposed sale to cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which led to litigation between Mintas and the operator.
That operational background matters. After eighteen years across iGaming and sportsbook operations on the supplier and data infrastructure side, I have seen how regulatory framing shapes everything from product design to commercial partnerships. Mintas clearly understands the difference between trading on an exchange and booking against the house.
The CFTC has not yet acted on the application. If approved, 365Prediction would join a rapidly growing field of federally regulated designated contract markets.
Risks and Counterarguments in the Regulatory Push
The strategy carries clear risks. State gaming regulators may push back against the claim that sports-event contracts fall outside their jurisdiction. If the CFTC approves the DCM but states assert overlapping authority, operators could face dual compliance burdens that slow product launches and raise costs.
Mintas’s argument hinges on the distinction between peer-to-peer trading and bookmaker wagering. That line looks clean on paper. In practice, market participants include both sophisticated traders and recreational users who treat contracts like bets. Surveillance technology from Eventus helps, yet detecting abuse across political and sports events demands constant tuning.
Existing prediction market platforms already operate in legal gray areas in some jurisdictions. A federally approved exchange could clarify rules for compliant players. It could also invite stricter enforcement against non-compliant competitors. The outcome depends on how the CFTC ultimately defines event contracts in its rulemaking.
From the supplier side, this kind of regulatory ambiguity is what stalls commercial deals. Operators price in uncertainty. They delay integrations until the path forward looks stable.
Why This Application Matters for Market Structure
The filing signals a deliberate attempt to build at the federal level rather than navigate state-by-state sports betting regimes. By seeking DCM status and pairing it with a clearinghouse and surveillance provider, 365Prediction is assembling the infrastructure of a regulated exchange from day one.
Mintas’s public comments make the positioning explicit. She sees prediction markets taking over in 2026 while state-by-state sports betting shrinks to local casino offerings. That forecast may prove aggressive. The underlying bet on federal oversight as the faster path to scale is worth watching.
The Bottom Line is that Mintas is forcing a regulatory conversation operators and tech providers cannot ignore. If the CFTC approves the application, it could accelerate the shift toward exchange-traded event contracts and reduce reliance on fragmented state licensing. The real test will come in how cleanly the agency distinguishes these products from gambling and whether that distinction holds up when states challenge it. Industry participants should track the CFTC response closely. For those evaluating how to engage with prediction markets alongside traditional sportsbooks, our advisory services outline practical integration paths at https://sccgmanagement.com/our-services/.
