Kalshi Launches Lobby Group Amid Insider‑Trading Probe
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- Kalshi announced the creation of Americans for Fair Markets (AFM), a well‑capitalized advocacy group to lobby Congress on prediction‑market regulation.
- AFM hired former White House communications staffer and pro‑Trump super PAC leader Taylor Budowich as its strategic advisor.
- James Comer opened insider‑trading investigations into Kalshi and rival Polymarket on the same day the lobbying group was unveiled.
- Kalshi emphasizes it is a federally regulated exchange under the CFTC, while Polymarket conducts most of its betting on an international platform.
- AFM says its mission is to fight “interests that are focused on protecting their monopolies and seeding lies” and to prevent a gaming lobby from pushing a ban on prediction markets.
Why it matters: Kalshi secures a dedicated lobbying arm, giving it a direct voice in Capitol Hill and helping preserve its regulated status, while rivals and the gaming lobby risk losing influence as the insider‑trading probe intensifies.
