Kalshi drops affiliate badges after X bans gambling promotions
Table of contents
- X revised its paid partnerships policy to prohibit affiliate accounts posting gambling and sports betting content.
- Kalshi removed all affiliate badges from the platform on Monday following the policy update.
- The development coincides with active legal disputes between prediction market operators and state regulators across the US.
Prediction market platform Kalshi has removed all affiliate badges from X after the social media platform updated its paid partnerships policy to bar promotional arrangements with accounts that post gambling-related content.
The policy change, issued last week by X, marks a shift in the platform’s approach to sponsored gambling promotion.
Policy change and Kalshi’s response
X’s updated rules prohibit paid affiliate accounts that post about “gambling products and services (including lotteries, social casinos, sports betting, and other gambling-related content).”
The change directly affected prediction market platforms, which have used affiliate badge programmes to build brand presence across the platform.
A Kalshi spokesperson confirmed the removal in a statement to Front Office Sports.
“We’ve decided to remove Kalshi badges. People loved the badges, and it was a fun way to engage the community, but it became too difficult to police, and people often confused badged accounts with Kalshi-endorsed messages. We’ll figure out other ways to make things fun for our traders,” the spokesperson said.
Nikita Bier, head of product at X, appeared to welcome the change, posting a meme online depicting a utopian world with the caption:
“The world without prediction market spam on X.”
Kalshi had previously described its affiliate badge programme in terms similar to “bumper stickers or team logos,” a branding tool rather than a direct endorsement mechanism. The confusion between badged accounts and officially endorsed communications had become an operational difficulty, the company acknowledged.
Polymarket remains on platform
As of late Monday, competitor Polymarket continued to display affiliate badges on some accounts.
Polymarket entered into an agreement with X in June 2025 to serve as the platform’s “official prediction market partner,” a relationship that may complicate the enforcement of the new policy.
Both Kalshi and Polymarket have previously faced scrutiny tied to affiliate activity. Complaints have included the promotion of fake news and other problematic content linked to badged accounts, raising broader questions about platform accountability in affiliate-driven marketing models.
Regulatory disputes in the background
The affiliate changes arrive at a time of active legal and regulatory pressure on prediction market platforms in the United States.
Multiple state regulators have challenged whether sports event contracts offered by prediction markets constitute sports betting, and therefore fall under state-level licensing requirements, rather than commodities products regulated federally.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has taken the position that prediction markets fall exclusively under its jurisdiction.
Last week, the agency filed an amicus brief in a case originally brought by Crypto.com, now before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, asserting its sole authority over the sector.
Mike Selig, recently confirmed chairman of the CFTC, addressed those challenging the agency’s authority directly in a video posted to social media.
“To those who seek to challenge our authority in this space,” Selig said, “let me be clear: we will see you in court.”
Prediction markets are viewed favourably by the Trump administration. Their growing presence in the US market is expected to remain a flashpoint between federal regulators and state-level gambling authorities in the months ahead.
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About the author
Bianca Máthe
Bianca Mathe joined the iGaming industry in 2018 and has since built extensive experience across multiple verticals, working with international gaming organizations on editorial, marketing, and media strategy. She brings a strong understanding of the regulatory, commercial, and technological forces shaping the global iGaming sector.
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