Former PlayUp US CEO Laila Mintas Seeks CFTC Approval for 365Prediction Exchange

365Prediction, a prediction market startup founded by former PlayUp US CEO Laila Mintas, has filed an application with the CFTC seeking approval to operate a federally regulated event-contract exchange.

Founded in February, 365Prediction seeks to operate a designated contract market (DCM) under CFTC oversight. The application outlines plans for a fully collateralized exchange that would clear trades through affiliated clearinghouse Next Gen Clearing, LLC.

The company also disclosed that it has licensed Eventus’ surveillance technology to monitor trading activity and detect potential market abuses.

Corporate filings show the company’s board 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.

Mintas Has Publicly Backed Prediction Markets

The filing follows Mintas’s public advocacy in support of prediction markets and sports-event contracts.

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.

More recently, Mintas submitted a detailed public comment to the CFTC’s prediction market rulemaking process.

In that submission, she argued that sports-event contracts should remain under federal oversight rather than state gaming regulation. The letter contended that event contracts differ fundamentally from traditional sports betting. That’s because participants trade contracts with one another rather than wagering against a bookmaker.

She advanced similar arguments during a recent panel discussion at NEXT Summit New York. Then, she said sports-event contracts should be viewed as exchange-traded products rather than gambling offerings.

“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.”

365Prediction has also emerged as a partner in FiscalNote’s planned expansion into political prediction markets.

During a February FiscalNote-hosted discussion, Mintas said her team launched 365Prediction because it viewed prediction markets as a significant growth opportunity. She added that existing products could be improved.

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.” Mintas said 365Prediction aims to differentiate itself through technology and product development.

A Familiar Name Enters Prediction Markets

Mintas is one of the more recognizable executives to enter the prediction market space.

Over the past two decades, she has held senior positions across the sports betting, gaming, sports integrity, and sports data sectors. Her résumé 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 industry attention after the collapse of PlayUp’s proposed sale to cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which led to litigation between Mintas and the operator.

The CFTC has not yet acted on 365Prediction’s application. If approved, the company would join a rapidly growing field of federally regulated DCMs seeking to capitalize on increasing interest in prediction markets.

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