CFTC tells Novig and ProphetX not to list micro and scorigami contracts
The CFTC has told Novig not to list micro contracts such as which team scores the first basket, and ProphetX to hold off on “scorigami” contracts, Front Office Sports reported on 22 October. Neither had been listed. What the contracts are, what the regulator said and what changes for Novig and ProphetX users.
In this article
The CFTC has stopped two sports contracts before they reached traders. Letters to Novig and ProphetX told them not to list event contracts they had self-certified, Front Office Sports reported on 22 October 2026. Novig's micro contracts, on in-game events such as which team scores the first basket, were described as open to manipulation. ProphetX's scorigami contracts were found not to meet the federal definition of a swap. Neither product had been listed, so no one has traded them.
The two contracts
| Exchange | Contract | What the CFTC said |
|---|---|---|
| Novig | Micro contracts on single in-game events, such as which team scores the first points in a basketball game | Susceptible to manipulation, so they should not be listed |
| ProphetX | Scorigami: whether a game ends with a final score that has never happened before | Not a swap under the Commodity Exchange Act |
The letters reportedly said both companies had made false self-certifications. Under the CFTC's rules an exchange can list a new contract by certifying that it complies with the law, and the agency can then step in.
What the companies and the regulator said
ProphetX said agency staff "requested that we voluntarily defer listing the Scorigami contracts pending further review, not that we withdraw them," and that it agreed and sent further analysis. Both companies can still make their case.
A CFTC spokesperson said the "rejection of 'micro trades' today reflects a broader commitment from Chairman [Michael] Selig and the CFTC to protect consumers from potential fraud or manipulation." According to Front Office Sports, senior officials have also told companies including DraftKings and FanDuel that they risk similar action if they list micro contracts.
Why micro contracts worry regulators
A whole game is hard to fix; a single moment is easier. One player, coach or official can influence who scores first far more easily than the final result, which is why the leagues and the CFTC have focused on narrow, in-game markets. Sportsbooks in many states already take similar prop bets, which is part of why the industry sees the move as a line between federal derivatives and state gambling (insider trading and manipulation).
The timing fits the CFTC's wider push. In October it proposed defining sports, political and other event contracts as swaps under its jurisdiction (the CFTC proposal), and its enforcement chief said this week that it is watching trading closely (the CFTC's probes).
What it means for Novig and ProphetX users
Nothing that was trading has been removed: game lines, spreads and totals on both exchanges are unaffected. Both are also among the ten operators Ohio ordered to stop sports contracts in the state (Polymarket sues Ohio). How each exchange works, its fees and where it is available: Novig review · ProphetX review.
