Kalshi adds fines and account deactivation for athlete harassment tied to trading

Kalshi has amended its rulebook to make athlete-directed harassment connected to trading an “impermissible activity,” creating a basis to deactivate accounts, refer cases to police and levy financial penalties.

In an Oct. 13 filing to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the exchange prohibited intentional or reckless conduct reasonably likely to cause emotional distress to a third party in connection with trading activity. The rule explicitly covers conduct likely to bully, frighten, threaten, scare, coerce, harass or intimidate someone.

Sportico reported that the change gives Kalshi latitude to act against bettors who direct abuse at athletes on social media. A Kalshi official said the financial sanctions could be flat fines for problematic conduct, regardless of the amount wagered.

Kalshi is also joining Signify Group and IC360 in a commercial arrangement called the Bad Actor Program. It is designed to identify social-media posts that breach the exchange’s harassment policy and determine whether the people behind them can be matched to Kalshi accounts.

The company said the programme targets abusive, threatening and potentially criminal behaviour, rather than legitimate criticism or discussion of sporting performance. Financial terms were not disclosed. DraftKings joined the programme last month and Fanatics joined in June.

The measures extend a concern that had chiefly centred on state-regulated sportsbooks to CFTC-regulated prediction markets. Coaches and players have raised alarms over betting-related abuse, and the issue received fresh attention after Jessica Pegula criticised Kalshi’s U.S. Open sponsorship during the summer. She said athletes received substantial negativity and hate from bettors even as tournaments profited from betting sponsorships.

IC360 had already worked with Kalshi and other prediction-market companies on a nationwide self-exclusion programme. Its new agreement adds abuse monitoring to integrity work that spans traditional sportsbooks and prediction markets.

The NBA and WNBA separately said their responsible-gaming campaign, developed with the National Council on Problem Gambling, will run during the 2026-27 NBA season. The campaign will warn fans about financial, mental-well-being and relationship risks from uncontrolled sports betting or prediction-market trading, and encourage time and spending limits.