Kalshi spent $990,000 lobbying Congress in H1 2026 as casino groups outspend it
Kalshi spent $990,000 lobbying Congress in the first half of 2026 as it fights for favorable federal regulation of prediction markets. Casino industry groups outspent the platform in the same period. The spending contest reflects a high-stakes legislative fight over how Washington will regulate event contracts and their intersection with traditional gambling. Polymarket has also joined the lobbying push. Federal policymakers are weighing rule changes that could reshape how event-contract platforms operate in the US.
Kalshi's lobbying spend must now compete with both casino groups and Polymarket for congressional attention. The platform is already bleeding legal resources across Michigan, New York, Illinois, and New Mexico state fights while defending its federal shield at the Second Circuit.
Every dollar diverted to Capitol Hill comes from a finite war chest that must also fund court battles and product launches. Casino interests have deeper pockets and a longer Washington history. A congressional ban on sports contracts would accomplish what state attorneys general have struggled to do. Kalshi cannot afford to lose on both fronts.
Kalshi's lobbying joins its existing three-front legal war against state attorneys general in Michigan, New York, Illinois, and New Mexico, a multi-state defense now matched by the bipartisan Senate bill that would ban sports event contracts.