Kalshi adds anti-harassment rules and detection partnership to address athlete abuse tied to sports betting
Prediction market operator Kalshi has notified the CFTC of new rulebook language that formally prohibits users from harassing athletes on social media in connection with their trading activity, with potential sanctions including account deactivation, police referral, and financial penalties. Kalshi is also partnering with Signify Group and IC360 on a "Bad Actor Program" designed to identify abusive social media posts and link them to Kalshi accounts, though financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed. The moves follow growing frustration from coaches and players over betting-related fan harassment, a concern that has spread from traditional sportsbooks to CFTC-regulated prediction markets. DraftKings and Fanatics have also joined the Bad Actor Program, according to the report.
No person shall intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct reasonably likely to cause emotional distress to a third-party in connection with trading activity
Why it matters
For service providers: Prediction market platforms and traditional sportsbooks face growing regulatory and public pressure to implement active anti-harassment measures, making Kalshi's CFTC filing a potential industry benchmark.
For brands: Sponsors and commercial partners of prediction markets are under heightened scrutiny from athletes and the public over the link between betting sponsorships and fan harassment.
For media: The NBA and WNBA's simultaneous launch of a problem-gambling awareness campaign with TV and social media ads signals a broad, league-level communications push worth covering.
For athletes: Professional athletes who experience betting-related harassment on social media may gain a new enforcement mechanism, as operators can now fine or deactivate accounts of abusive users.
Read the full story at Sportico
Sources
- Sportico · Dan Bernstein: Kalshi’s New Anti-Harassment Measures Could Include Fines