A U.S. political candidate has been suspended from the federally regulated prediction market platform Kalshi after placing bets on his own gubernatorial campaign, triggering enforcement action over insider trading concerns. The platform confirmed that the individual wagered approximately $200 on contracts tied to his chances of winning the California governor’s race.
According to Kalshi’s enforcement team, the activity violated internal market integrity rules designed to prevent participants with privileged information from influencing or profiting from event based contracts. The account was issued a five-year ban and a $2,000 financial penalty. The matter has also been referred to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which oversees Kalshi’s operations.
Increased Scrutiny on Political Prediction Markets
The suspension comes as U.S. regulators intensify oversight of prediction markets amid their growing popularity. Kalshi recently established an internal surveillance audit committee and expanded partnerships with third-party monitoring firms to strengthen market abuse detection.
CFTC Chair Mike Selig stated that the agency has launched a prediction markets advisory initiative to coordinate with industry participants and identify potential misconduct. He warned that manipulation, fraud, and insider trading would prompt swift enforcement action.
Kalshi reports that it has reviewed roughly 200 cases to date and currently maintains more than a dozen active investigations, signaling a tougher stance on compliance as event-based trading moves further into the mainstream.
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