Novig

Novig
TypePrivate
IndustryPrediction market, Sports betting
Headquarters169 Madison Avenue Suite 2199
New York, NY 10012
Websitenovig.com

Novig is a sports-focused prediction market platform based in New York City. It is regulated as a financial exchange rather than a sportsbook.

Novig was co-founded by Jacob Fortinsky and Kelechi Ukah in 2024. It started as a state-licensed betting shop in Colorado before transitioning to a dual-currency sweepstakes company later that year. Novig changed strategies again when it applied for Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) registration as a prediction market exchange operator in January 2026, doing business as Ludlow Exchange, LLC. The registration received CFTC approval as a designated contract market in June. Novig officially relaunched in 47 states (excluding Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada) on August 4. The next day, Novig sued New York in federal court to prevent the state from enforcing its sports betting laws. Within 72 hours, the company brought similar suits to Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Washington.

In September 2026, actress Sydney Sweeney appeared nude in an advertisement for Novig, using sports equipment as props to cover up while repeating the tagline "Just sports". The company also described her as a "strategic partner and equity holder." The advertisement attracted criticism from several female athletes, including gymnast Gracie Kramer, sprinter Amy Hunt, and swimmer Ariarne Titmus, for objectifying and setting back women in sports. Others described the controversy as likely intentional as a form of outrage marketing. Novig released a second iteration of ads featuring Sweeney in October, with co-founder and CEO Jacob Fortinsky defending the strategy. As per The Conversation, the campaign represented two trends: "how routinely women’s bodies are sexualized in digital media and how gambling companies use sexual appeal [...] to target young men."

References

  1. 1 2 Bernstein, Dan (January 26, 2026). "Novig Applies for Federal Prediction Market Approval". Sportico. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  2. ↑ Brewer, Contessa (June 16, 2026). "Novig wins CFTC approval as competition intensifies in sports prediction markets". CNBC. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  3. ↑ Huber, David (August 5, 2026). "Novig CFTC-Regulated Sports Contracts Now Available in 47 States". Deadspin. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  4. ↑ Evans, Patrick (August 6, 2026). "Novig Launches Prediction Markets, Then Promptly Sues New York". Legal Sports Report. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  5. ↑ Calland, Rory (August 10, 2026). "Novig sues four states in 72 hours". NEXTPredict. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  6. ↑ Linnehan, Robert (August 10, 2026). "Novig Sues Four States In First Week Offering Prediction Markets". Sports Betting Dime. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  7. ↑ Khan, Jo (September 14, 2026). "Sydney Sweeney under fire for 'sexualising women's sport' in sports prediction ad". The Guardian. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  8. ↑ Wynne, Ffion (September 14, 2026). "This is what women in sport look like - Hunt". BBC Sport. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  9. ↑ Healy, Jon (September 14, 2026). "Sydney Sweeney's sport betting ad roasted by Olympians for sexualising women's sport". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  10. ↑ Gupta, Alisha Haridasani (September 15, 2026). "Sydney Sweeney Sports Betting Ad Sparks Backlash From Athletes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  11. ↑ Whitfill Roeloffs, Mary (September 26, 2026). "The Outrage Economy: Why Companies Are Embracing Rage-Bait In High-Stakes Gamble". Forbes. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Novig doubles down on Sydney Sweeney campaign amid criticism". Sports Business Journal. October 12, 2026. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  13. ↑ Jones, Samantha; Hong Chow, Jamie; Vanderhoeven, Noah Eliot (October 13, 2026). "Advertising like Sydney Sweeney's Novig campaign teach women to see themselves as objects". The Conversation. Retrieved October 16, 2026.