Kalshi has established a new office in Washington, D.C., signaling a more formal push into US policy engagement as regulatory scrutiny around prediction markets intensifies. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission-regulated platform appointed veteran political strategist John Bivona as its first head of federal government relations to lead outreach with lawmakers and regulators.
The company also hired Blake Bee, a former Amazon public policy executive, to oversee state-level engagement. The expansion comes as Kalshi reports rapid growth in trading activity, with monthly volumes reaching $6.58 billion in December, driven in part by demand for sports-related event contracts.
Despite its federal approval, Kalshi faces enforcement actions from multiple US states that argue its sports contracts amount to unlicensed gambling. Court rulings have varied by jurisdiction, underscoring unresolved tensions between federal oversight and state gaming laws as prediction markets seek broader acceptance.
