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Kalshi has suspended three political candidates from trading on their own races. Yes, you could be a politician getting grounded for trying to make a quick buck on your own face.
These politicians weren’t exactly high rollers since most of the bets were around $50 to $100, but the principle remains the same. You cannot bet on a race where you literally hold the steering wheel.
Meet the Candidates who Took a Bet on Themselves
The naughty list includes Mark Moran. He’s an independent running for Senate in Virginia who traded $100 on himself and got a $6,229 fine. Moran actually refused to sign a settlement that would have forced him to post an apology on X, so Kalshi basically threw the book at him. He says he did it on purpose to “expose the system,” but his wallet might feel differently. He wrote on his X account:
“Finally, one of the moments I’ve been waiting for. YES, I did bet ~$100 on myself on Kalshi because I wanted to get caught… I wanted to see (1) if Kalshi would come after me…,”
The second violator is Matt Klein, a Minnesota state Senator. According to him, he was just “curious” about how it worked before getting a five-year timeout and a $540 fine. Funnily enough, Klein is currently co-sponsoring a bill to ban prediction markets in Minnesota, which is an example of a “do as I say, not as I do” move.
Although unlike Senator Moran, he tendered an apology, saying he just wanted to thirst the waters:
“In October 2025 I heard from friends that there was a prediction market site with wagers on my primary race. I had never wagered on a prediction market previously. I was curious about how it worked. I set up an account and bet $50 of my own funds that I would win the primary. I was informed in March of 2026 that this was a violation of the platform rules. In compliance with their request, I paid a penalty and agreed to be suspended from the platform. That was the only wager I have ever made on a prediction.”
Last on the bad boys list is Ezekiel “Zeke” Enriquez, a Texas congressional candidate who lost his primary with less than 2% of the vote. He was fined $784 for betting on his own doomed campaign.
All three are banned until 2031, so they will have plenty of time to rethink their investment strategies.
Illinois and New York Ban Use of Prediction Markets by State Employees
While Kalshi is busy playing hall monitor, both Illinois and New York have decided the state government needs its own set of rules to keep employees from turning public service into a parlay.
On April 21, 2026, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2026-04, which tells state employees to keep their “insider info” to themselves.
Pritzker is making it very clear that serving the public should not involve a side hustle on Polymarket.
“Prediction markets have rapidly grown into a space where people can bet on real-world events without any oversight, including events people can influence. This opens the door to insider trading and abuse of confidential information. While the Trump administration continues to be riddled with stories of appointees looking to make a profit, Illinois is stepping up to ensure those who are serving the public, not their own personal financial gain.” – Governor JB Pritzker
Not to be outdone by Illinois, New York Governor Kathy Hochul followed suit on April 22, 2026, by signing Executive Order 60.
“Getting rich by betting on inside information is corruption, plain and simple… Our actions will ensure that public servants work for the people they represent, not their own personal enrichment. While Donald Trump and DC Republicans turn a blind eye to the ethical Wild West they’ve created, New York is stepping up to lead by example and stamp out insider trading,”
– Governor Kathy Hochul
