Kalshi permanently bans George Santos for betting on his own actions

Kalshi’s compliance team confirmed it established reasonable cause to believe Santos profited $17,839 from the specific wager. Beyond the permanent ban, the firm hit the former representative with a $71,356 fine. According to the company, Santos actively influenced the outcome of the event he bet on, violating core trading prohibitions designed to prevent candidates from capitalizing on their own political movements.

Santos acknowledged the penalty on X, mocking the platform's longevity in response to the news. The decision follows a separate $35,000 settlement reached two months ago with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over identical conduct. Kalshi also moved to penalize and suspend other political figures for similar behavior, including Maine gubernatorial candidate Ben Midgely, Republican nominee Laurie Buckhout, and former California candidate Stephen Cloobeck.