[REVISION HISTORY]

Kalshi expands sports presence via MLB and US Open deals

Updated 5 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-31 18:28 UTC → 2026-09-06 03:12 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The prediction market operator Kalshi has expanded its presence in the sports sector through professional team sponsorships and user promotions. Major baseball teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, have implemented understated sponsorship deals with Kalshi. In Los Angeles, branding has appeared on digital outfield signage and behind home plate, while the Red Sox have integrated logos into social media and marketing. The Dodgers’ partnership has raised potential conflicts with their casino partner, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino; the San Manuel Nation has argued that prediction markets function as “unregulated gambling presented as financial contracts” and may infringe upon tribal sovereignty. Kalshi has since formalized its presence in Major League Baseball by entering multi-year marketing partnerships with five franchises: the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants. These deals cover approximately 17% of MLB franchises, reaching an estimated combined fan base of 60 million to 65 million people. However, the San Francisco Giants have faced criticism from local media following the launch of their partnership. Commentators expressed disapproval of promotional tactics, such as using game win probabilities on social media to encourage fans to download the Kalshi app, arguing the team is encouraging its fanbase to gamble on professional sports. Expanding beyond baseball, Kalshi has secured an exclusive prediction-market partnership with the US Open. This agreement, which took effect following the tournament’s qualifying rounds, reportedly prevents competing platforms from advertising within the tournament venue or during ESPN’s tournament broadcasts. While Kalshi distinguishes its services from traditional sports betting by offering event contracts regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the company faces significant legal challenges. A federal appeals court in the Ninth Circuit recently ruled that Nevada can apply its state gambling laws to Kalshi’s sports event contracts, rejecting the company’s argument that such contracts are financial swaps regulated exclusively by the CFTC. This creates a circuit split, as the Third Circuit had previously ruled in favor of Kalshi, increasing the likelihood of a U.S. Supreme Court review.

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