Prediction market company Kalshi is working with global compliance technology and advisory platform IC360 to introduce a self-exclusion tool that will allow users to block themselves from the ability to trade.
Kalshi is the first prediction market company to introduce this safeguarding feature, which is synonymous with online casinos and sportsbooks. The measure is designed to protect those at risk of gambling addiction from developing harmful activities.
Other platforms in the process of completing onboarding
The likes of Robinhood and Polymarket are also looking to implement the responsible trading tool, which has long been called for by analysts. For several years, prediction market companies have marketed sports trading as sports event contracts.
In a statement, Kalshi spokesperson Elisabeth Diana said: “We’re solving for a bad status quo: with gaming, if you have a problem in one state, you can travel to another and you’re suddenly not on the list. Thanks to our partnership with IC360, you’re excluded not only nationally on Kalshi but across all prediction markets. We hope others in our industry follow.”
State-regulated sportsbooks generally provide their own self-exclusion tools, but those systems are typically limited to individual platforms. A nationwide, cross-platform option comparable to SelfExclude does not yet exist for traditional sportsbooks, though a version tied to members of the Responsible Online Gaming Association has been in development since before this year.
In contrast, several daily fantasy sports operators have joined the recently introduced National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program created by idPair.
Announcement comes as survey shows record levels of problem gambling
The push to include self-exclusion tools is gathering momentum, with a new survey showing the depth of gambling issues in the U.S. According to the latest Siena Research Institute survey released Monday, problem gambling tied to online sports betting is reaching new levels. The American Sport Fanship Survey, conducted in February 2026 among more than 3,000 U.S. adults, found a sharp rise in risky betting behaviors as access to online wagering continues to expand.
More than a quarter of Americans, 27%, now report having an active online sports betting account. Among those users, signs of harmful behavior are increasing. Six in 10 bettors said they chase losses, up from just over half a year earlier, while 42% acknowledged betting more than they should.
Other warning signs were also showing concerning signs of progressing throughout the population. About 31% of respondents said someone else had expressed concern about their gambling, and 27% admitted lying about how much they bet. Meanwhile, 43% reported feeling ashamed after losing, and roughly one in four said their losses have caused financial problems.
The findings come as the sports betting industry continues to grow rapidly. Americans wagered $16.4 billion on state-regulated online sports betting in 2025, a jump of more than 20% from the previous year. Newer forms of wagering, including federally regulated prediction markets, remain a smaller but emerging factor, with 15% of respondents reporting participation.
Public sentiment appears to be shifting alongside the rise in gambling activity. A late-2025 poll by the Pew Research Center found increasing concern about the societal impact of legalized sports betting. Still, the survey pointed to a modest sign of progress, with 15% of bettors saying they have sought help for their gambling, up from 9% in prior years.
Senator presses sports leagues on gambling partnerships
Meanwhile, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is pressing professional sports leagues about their relationship with online sportsbooks.
In a letter sent to the commissioners of the NFL, NBA, NCAA, MLB, NHL and MLS, Blumenthal asked for clarification on how they are maintaining the integrity of sports, reducing the risk of gambling addiction, and safeguarding athletes from abuse.
In the letter, Blumenthal states: “Since the federal ban on sports gambling, a ban supported by the leagues, was overturned eight years ago, gambling has permeated every aspect of the game. The consequences of this rampant rise of sports gambling have been accelerating addiction, threats to players and even the corruption of the game.”
He added: ‘Pervasive sports betting culture has fans rooting for a payout, not their favorite teams, and dehumanizes players into financial assets, with even their health and safety as the subjects of bets.”
As it stands, the NCAA is alone in functioning without a commercial sportsbook deal, although it reached a data-sharing arrangement with licensed operators last year. In recent months, MLS, the NHL and MLB have each entered agreements with prediction market companies.
