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- Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger warned state election workers against using prediction markets to wager on political races.
- He also urged state lawmakers to pass explicit legislation prohibiting poll workers and officials from betting on election outcomes.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger warned election workers, poll workers, and state staff not to bet on political races, saying Georgia should tighten its rules as prediction market platforms gain traction ahead of Election Day.
The warning matters because Georgia law already treats gambling on an election or political nomination as a misdemeanor, but Raffensperger said there is no explicit statute barring election staff from betting on races they help administer as long as they do not interfere with the outcome. That gap is drawing fresh attention as platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket have taken more than $750 million in total bids on midterm races nationwide, according to the FOX 5 Atlanta report.
“Don’t do it,” Raffensperger said. He added, “It’s really important that anyone that’s involved in the election process, any election official, should not be betting on their outcome.”
Georgia says current law leaves a gap for election staff
Raffensperger said the state’s position is clear even if the law is not as specific as he wants it to be.
“Right now, there’s nothing in state law saying you can’t do that,” he said, referring to election workers betting on races they manage. “That’s why we’re saying, please don’t do that. It’s just not good practice.”
The report said Georgia State Elections Director Rob DiRienzo issued formal guidance reminding local leaders that state law already prohibits government employees from profiting from their official position. Raffensperger said he wants the Georgia General Assembly to go further and pass tighter restrictions covering poll workers, election staff, and employees in the secretary of state’s office.
Prediction markets add pressure for clearer rules
The issue comes as election-related prediction markets become more visible nationally. The FOX 5 Atlanta report identified Kalshi and Polymarket as federally regulated financial exchanges rather than state-regulated gaming products, a distinction that can put them outside state gaming laws and state gaming taxes.
Raffensperger said he hopes the next secretary of state works with lawmakers on a more explicit prohibition next year. “Next year, I hope that the next incoming Secretary of State will go ahead and, you know, work that through the general assembly,” he said.
The story also pointed to a recent enforcement example outside Georgia: Kalshi fined and banned a North Carolina congressional candidate after determining she had bet on her own race.
For now, the immediate timeline is guidance rather than a new law. Georgia election workers have been warned off political betting, while any stricter prohibition would depend on action from lawmakers in the next legislative session.
Source: As reported by fox5atlanta.com.
