Former Senator Blanche Lincoln is lobbying for Kalshi on prediction markets
Lincoln is now pushing for looser rules on the same kind of contracts she once said could mask sports gambling.
Former Senator Blanche Lincoln, who once warned Congress that prediction-market contracts could be used as a back door for sports gambling, is now lobbying for Kalshi to get looser rules on those same products. The shift matters because prediction markets sit in a gray area between financial instruments and betting, and the CFTC is the key regulator deciding how far they can go. According to the report, Lincoln has pressed the agency to allow sports gambling on prediction markets. Her firm has collected $480,000 from Kalshi since 2024 for lobbying Congress and the CFTC on event-contract regulation.
Why it matters
For Kalshi and other prediction-market firms, the value of Lincoln’s move is not just her name but her history with the issue. It shows how the fight over event contracts has become a regulatory one, with the CFTC deciding how far these products can go and whether sports-linked markets stay restricted or open further. Her firm’s $480,000 in Kalshi fees since 2024 underlines how much is at stake in that debate.
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Sources
- Ars Technica