Fair access in every state
A trader in one state shouldn't be locked out of markets that are legal one border over. These are federally regulated markets; traders shouldn't lose access every time a state and a federal regulator fight over turf.
Sports traders finally have a voice.
The Sports Traders Union is the user-centered voice of the fastest-growing corner of US markets. We represent the people actually trading sports prediction markets — not the companies, not the exchanges. Just traders.
The problem
Policy is being written about traders, without traders.
Sports prediction markets are among the fastest-growing markets in the country, and the rules that will govern them are being drafted right now — in Washington, in state capitols, and inside regulatory agencies.
Companies have lobbyists. Sportsbooks have trade groups. But the traders who actually use these markets have no seat at the table. Decisions about access, fees, taxes, and fairness are being made as if they weren't in the room.
We exist to change that — to organize traders into a constituency that policymakers can't write around.
What we do
Standards, organizing, and representation.
Publish standards
We author and maintain the Responsible Trading Code — the industry's benchmark for transparent pricing, fair settlement, and treating winners fairly.
Organize traders
We turn scattered, individual traders into an organized membership: a real constituency with numbers, letters, and testimony behind it.
Represent the user
We carry the trader's perspective directly to Congress, regulators, and state lawmakers — comment letters, testimony, and the record.
Why now
Regulated prediction markets are structurally better for consumers.
This is the argument at the center of everything we do. Federally regulated prediction markets protect traders in ways online sportsbooks simply don't.
01
Transparent pricing
You see the true cost of a trade before you place it — no hidden vig buried in the odds.
02
No banning winners
Regulated markets can't limit or ban you for being good. Sportsbooks do it every day.
03
Real market protections
Segregated funds, published settlement rules, and oversight designed to protect the consumer.
How we're structured
Independent by design.
The Union is an independent nonprofit, guided by an advisory board of traders, researchers, and policy people. Everyone is an Advisor — the structure is deliberately flat.
We are not affiliated with any exchange, platform, or sportsbook, and we don't take direction from one. Our only constituency is traders, and membership is free precisely so that stays true.
The Standard
The Responsible Trading Code of Conduct
Nine standards an Adopting Exchange commits to uphold. The Code targets gambling-like behavior — a pattern of participation, not a product classification — extending the CFTC's existing core principles rather than proposing a new regulatory regime.
- 01
Education and expectations
Clear economics and real risk explained before anyone trades.
- 02
Marketing
Honest, risk-forward marketing that never targets the vulnerable.
- 03
User interface
Deliberate-by-design interfaces with no casino mechanics.
- 04
User controls
Easy-to-find limits, cooling-off, and self-exclusion.
- 05
Incentives
Opt-in incentives that are never triggered by losses.
- 06
Contract design
Extra scrutiny for short, repeatable, casino-like contracts.
- 07
Monitoring and intervention
Tiered, documented responses to loss-chasing patterns.
- 08
Metrics and accountability
Tracked metrics, shared with regulators and independently attested.
- 09
Age and access
21+, verified before any deposit or trade.
Our agenda
What the Union fights for.
Written by traders, for traders — the outcomes that make these markets fairer, safer, and more transparent for the people who actually use them.
No punishing winners
Sportsbooks routinely limit or ban customers for being good. Real markets welcome skilled participants — it's a structural advantage of exchanges, and we work to keep it that way.
Know the true cost of every trade
Fees, spreads, and settlement terms disclosed in plain language before a trade is placed. No surprises at settlement.
Fair, verifiable settlement
Every contract settles against a clear, published source of truth, with disputes handled through a transparent, reviewable process.
Markets that protect their users
We publish the Responsible Trading Code of Conduct and push every platform to adopt it: real limit-setting and self-exclusion tools, no predatory promotions, no marketing to people showing signs of harm, and a 21+ standard for sports contracts.
Read the CodeOnshore beats offshore
Federally regulated markets protect consumers in ways offshore operators never will. Policy should pull traders toward regulated venues, not push them away.
Advisor-led
The advisory board.
The Union is guided by traders, researchers, and policy people who believe these markets should work for the people inside them. The structure is deliberately flat — no presidents, no council. Everyone is an Advisor.
To be announced
We're assembling the board.
Advisor names and bios will be published here soon. If you're a trader, researcher, or policy person who wants to help shape the Union, we'd like to hear from you.
Membership · Free
Join the Union.
Traders finally have a voice — but only if traders show up. Add yours in under a minute. Membership is free, there are no dues, and your identity stays private.
Founding member: early joiners are recognized as founding members of the Union.
Add your voice
Your membership strengthens the comment letters and testimony we bring to Congress, regulators, and states.
Shape the Code
Members help shape revisions of the Responsible Trading Code as markets and platforms evolve.
Stay in the loop
Get member updates and surveys so the Union's positions reflect what traders actually want.