Of the major prediction-market platforms operating legally in the US today, Kalshi is the one that started the category — and four years on, it’s still the biggest. By 2026, lifetime trading volume crossed $100 billion.
During the 2026 World Cup, weekly volume hit $6.38 billion and Kalshi captured 42% of all prediction-market app downloads — more than anyone else in the category. Reported revenue run rate is north of $2 billion, with early IPO talks underway. The platform also powers Robinhood Predictions on the back end, which means even when you’re trading event contracts on Robinhood, you’re trading on Kalshi.
The welcome bonus, oddly, is the smallest in the category — typically $10–$20 in trading credits depending on the promo code you use. The brand reference is KALSHI; the actual dollar value depends on the affiliate flow you sign up through. Available in 38 states plus DC, 18+ only.
What is Kalshi?
Kalshi is a regulated exchange where you trade Yes/No contracts on real-world events — anything from World Cup matches to Fed rate decisions to whether the US will officially confirm aliens exist before 2029. Each contract costs between $0.01 and $0.99 and settles at $1 if you’re right, $0 if you’re wrong. The price you pay is the implied probability: buy Yes at 35¢ and you’re saying the market thinks there’s a 35% chance the event happens.
Categories on the platform include Sports, Politics, Culture, Crypto, Commodities, Climate, Economics, Finance and Tech & Science, plus live in-play markets and a recently launched Perpetuals product with 0% fees during the launch period. Sports drives roughly 87% of trading volume during peak periods — but Kalshi’s distinctive depth lives in the non-sports verticals, where the platform runs structured markets on everything from Brent crude price targets to AI model rankings to S&P closing ranges.
Kalshi at a Glance
| Bonus | $10–$20 in trading credits (varies by code) |
| Promo Code | KALSHI · best value $20 via SIBONUS, COVERS20, CORGBONUS |
| Terms | $1 min deposit · $10 trade requirement to unlock · 30-day bonus expiry |
| States | 38 + DC. Excluded: AR, AZ, CT, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, MT, NJ, NV, OH |
| Sports Markets | MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, college football & basketball, soccer (World Cup), UFC, tennis, golf, racing + Combos for pro football & basketball |
| Other Markets | Politics, commodities (oil, metals, gas), finance (S&P, IPOs), tech & science (AI, SpaceX, Anthropic), climate, culture, perpetuals |
Two Prices, Side by Side
Pull up any Kalshi market and you’ll see something no other prediction app shows you: every contract priced in two formats at once.
“Will the US confirm that aliens exist by 2029?” reads 31% / 3.08x. The 31% is the implied probability — a Yes contract costs $0.31 and pays $1 if you’re right. The 3.08x is what each dollar staked pays out if Yes hits.
Best AI by end of 2026? Claude 68% / 1.44x, Gemini 13% / 7.25x. S&P close in the $7,800–$7,999.99 range? 13% / 6.93x.
Polymarket shows percentages only. DraftKings shows American odds. FanDuel mixes both. Robinhood is percentages. Kalshi is the only one showing probability and payout multiplier on every contract — and it changes how you think about each trade.
That’s the bet Kalshi is making: serious traders want both views. Probability for forecasting, multiplier for sizing. It reads less like a sportsbook and more like an exchange. The institutional partnerships back the positioning — NHL official partner, CNBC multi-year exclusive, CNN data deal, PrizePicks integration.
The tradeoff is the bonus. $10–$20 in trading credits is small next to Polymarket’s $50 or DraftKings’ $200 Predictions Dollars. Kalshi is betting product depth wins long-term, and the numbers suggest they’re right.

Kalshi Promo Codes 2026: How the $10–$20 Trading Bonus Actually Works
This is the section where Kalshi’s bonus structure gets interesting (and confusing). The welcome offer varies by affiliate code — different partners have negotiated different bonus amounts, and the exact dollar value you receive depends entirely on which sign-up flow you enter through. Below, the full mechanics.
The brand-name code is KALSHI but the affiliate-specific codes determine the bonus amount. Codes are :
The brand-name code KALSHI for use through general / non-affiliate-specific sign-up flows is the simplest identifier when no affiliate code applies. If you’re signing up through this Locals Insider review, the affiliate flow attaches whatever current Kalshi affiliate offer is in force.
The trading requirement is $10 in event contracts across all current offers. You must place qualifying trades totaling at least $10 (any combination of markets, any number of trades) before the bonus credits. The trading requirement clears regardless of whether your trades win or lose — Kalshi credits the bonus based on activity, not outcome.
The bonus is delivered as trading credit, not withdrawable cash. Same structure as Polymarket — the $10/$15/$20 sits in your account as bonus capital usable for trading; profits from positions placed with the bonus may be withdrawable depending on current terms.
Bonus expiry is 30 days from issuance. Some offers (like KALSHI) give you 90 days to complete the trading requirement, then 30 days from issuance to use the bonus once it’s credited.
KYC required before any deposit or trading. Kalshi runs standard exchange-grade identity verification — government-issued ID and proof of US residential address. Verification typically completes within minutes.
7. The Kalshi referral program is separate. Existing Kalshi users can refer friends and earn $25 per referral after the referred user completes 100 trades within 30 days. The 100-trade threshold is higher than most referral programs but the reward is uncapped — you can refer as many users as you want.
The Kalshi bonus is the smallest in the prediction-market category by absolute dollar value, but the trading requirement ($10) and minimum deposit ($1) are also the lowest. If you want to test the platform with minimal upfront risk, Kalshi’s $1 deposit + $10 trade + $20 bonus (via the best codes) is the lowest-stakes entry into prediction markets in the US.
Kalshi 2026 Promo Code & Review
Kalshi Code Offer: Trade $10, get up to $20 in trading credits
The bonus amount varies by affiliate code — three tiers visible across the prediction-market landscape. The brand reference is KALSHI; the dollar value depends on which sign-up flow you enter through.
Trading Credit
Promo Codes
SIBONUS
COVERS20
CORGBONUS
Trading Credit
Promo Codes
SPORTSLINE15
CBSSPORTS
Trading Credit
Promo Codes
FOXSPORTS · GRINDERS
LABS · RATE · ACTION
Min Deposit
$1 — lowest in the prediction-market category
Trading Requirement
$10 in qualifying trades to unlock the bonus
Bonus Type
Non-withdrawable trading credit — clears through activity
Bonus Expiry
30 days from issuance · 90 days to complete trading req
Interest on Idle Cash
3.25–3.95% variable APY — unique in the category
Trading Fees
Per-contract fee schedule · ACH deposits free · 2% on debit
How to claim the Kalshi $20 bonus, step by step
- Download the Kalshi app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, or sign up at kalshi.com on desktop (both flows work for Kalshi, unlike Polymarket’s mobile-only promo)
- Tap Sign Up and enter the promo code that unlocks the bonus tier you want — LOCALS, KALSHI for the maximum $20 offer; the brand reference KALSHI as a general fallback
- Complete registration: name, email, address, phone number, date of birth (18+ required)
- Complete KYC identity verification — government-issued ID and proof of US residential address. Typically processes within minutes
- Make a deposit of at least $1 via debit card, bank ACH, Apple Pay, wire transfer or USDC crypto. ACH is free; debit card carries a 2% fee
- Place at least $10 in qualifying event-contract trades across any markets — sports, politics, economics, Tech & Science, Commodities, Climate, anything in the Kalshi catalog
- Bonus credits to your account within 24 hours of the trading requirement being met. The bonus is delivered as trading credit, usable on any Kalshi market
- Use the bonus within 30 days of issuance. Profits earned from bonus-funded positions may be withdrawable per current terms
A note on fees and withdrawals:
Kalshi charges 2% on debit card deposits/withdrawals, free on ACH bank transfers, free on wire transfers. Trading fees apply per contract on matched orders based on a published fee schedule. Withdrawal holds: 3 days for debit card, 7 days for same-bank ACH, 30 days for different-bank ACH.
Daily debit withdrawals cap at $2,500; bank transfers have no withdrawal cap. Kalshi pays variable interest of 3.25–3.95% APY on cash and positions held in the platform — among the few prediction markets that earn yield on idle balances.
What You Can Trade
Kalshi covers more ground than any competitor, but the platform’s distinctive depth lives outside sports.
Sports
Sports is still the volume engine — about 87% of trading on any given day. Markets run across MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, college football and basketball, soccer (full 2026 World Cup coverage), tennis, golf, UFC, motor racing, and niche corners like darts, chess and hot dog eating. The Panama vs Croatia World Cup match alone traded $42.7 million in a single afternoon. Pro football and pro basketball get Combos — parlay-style bundles of multiple contracts for bigger payouts — and the rest of the sports verticals are expected to follow.
Politics
Politics is where the 2026 midterm cycle is playing out in real time. Every Senate, House and Governor primary has its own market with momentum arrows showing which way the money is moving — Micah Lasher up 9 points in the NY-12 Democratic race, Claire Valdez up 12 in NY-07. The longer-horizon markets are where it gets interesting: 2028 Democratic Presidential Nominee has Gavin Newsom leading at 24%. Peak US National Debt Under Trump puts $45 trillion at 78% and $50 trillion at 34%. Will Congressional salaries increase? Trades at 47% by 2030.
Commodities
This is where Kalshi’s institutional positioning shows clearest. Brent crude, WTI crude, natural gas, gasoline, copper, gold and silver all have structured price-target markets running on tomorrow, this week, end-of-month and end-of-year horizons. Brent crude above $76.99 on June 30 trades at 44%, with $1.22 million in volume on that single market. No other US prediction platform runs commodities at this depth.
Tech & Science
This is the vertical that wouldn’t exist on a sportsbook-derived platform. Will the US confirm aliens exist before 2029? Trades at 31%, with nearly $30 million in lifetime volume. Best AI by end of 2026? Claude at 68%, Gemini at 13%. How many SpaceX launches in June? Above 13 at 89%. When will OpenAI release GPT-6? Before November at 58%. When will Anthropic release Mythos? Before January 2027 at 18%. Which nuclear startup hits criticality first — Atomic Alchemy at 54% or Oklo at 33%? The category covers AI, Big Tech, Energy, Medicine, Physics, Public Health and Space.
Finance
Finance runs structured equity markets in a way that resembles real derivatives trading. The S&P closing price tomorrow at 4pm EDT is broken into 25-point ranges. End-of-month, end-of-year and intraday Friday closing ranges all trade as separate contracts. Will GameStop acquire eBay this year? Sits at 16%. When will Tesla and SpaceX merge? Before April 2027 at 54%. The Finance section has dedicated sub-feeds for IPOs, CEOs, M&A, KPIs and product launches.
Economics, Climate, Culture
The catalog rounds out with Fed decisions, CPI prints, jobs reports and GDP on the macro side; named Atlantic storms and regional temperature outcomes on the climate side; Oscars, Grammys and TV ratings on the culture side; plus a Mentions vertical that tracks how often specific politicians and celebrities show up in major media coverage.
Perps (Perpetuals) — new product, 0% fees launch
Visible in the Kalshi homepage screenshots: a featured “Intro to Perpetuals” promotional card with the headline “Trade with leverage, go long or short, and keep your position open without an expiration date. 0% fees for a limited time.” Kalshi’s perpetuals product is the platform’s response to crypto exchange perp-futures products and represents a meaningful product expansion. CME sued the CFTC over Kalshi’s Bitcoin perpetual futures contract approval, escalating a fight over whether regulated exchanges can list crypto perps as futures.
Variable interest on idle balances
Kalshi pays 3.25–3.95% APY variable interest on cash and positions held in the platform — among the few prediction markets that earn yield on idle balances. The yield comes from holdings of US Treasury securities and overnight reverse repos through Kalshi’s clearing infrastructure.
Responsible trading infrastructure
Kalshi has built out responsible-trading tools more comprehensively than any prediction-market competitor. Default Face ID and KYC controls. Personalized deposit limits with system-recommended caps based on user trading patterns. Inner Circle accountability tool — allows users to share trading activity with trusted friends/family for outside visibility. Trading breaks — temporary cool-off lockouts users can self-impose. Voluntary opt-outs for longer-term self-exclusion. IC360 customer protection hub partnership for safer trading practices. Birches Health partnership for confidential professional guidance on trading habits and financial decision-making.
Tax forms
Kalshi issues 1099-INT (for interest earned on idle balances) and 1099-MISC (for trading activity) tax forms — making US tax compliance more straightforward than competitors that issue only generic gambling-income or capital-gains documentation.
Referral program
Existing users can refer friends and earn $25 per referral after the referred user completes 100 trades within 30 days. The 100-trade threshold is high but the reward is uncapped — no maximum number of referrals.
“Markets over Monopolies” positioning
Visible on the homepage in the screenshots: a tagline-style banner reading “Markets over Monopolies — How fair markets protect consumers” alongside a “Responsible — Tools and tips smart” banner. This is Kalshi’s explicit positioning as the institutional, responsible alternative to monopolistic state-licensed sportsbook systems.

Side-by-Side · Prediction Market Apps · 2026
Kalshi vs Polymarket, DraftKings, FanDuel Predicts & Robinhood
A direct comparison across legal states, welcome bonuses, market depth and standout strengths. Kalshi is the volume leader and longest-operating CFTC-licensed prediction exchange; the comparison shows where each competitor differentiates.
| Platform | States | Bonus | Standout Strength | Trade-Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
This Review
Kalshi
Code: KALSHI · CFTC DCM since 2020 | 38 + DC excl. AR AZ CT IL LA MA MD MI MT NJ NV OH | $10–$20 trading credits $1 deposit · $10 trade req | $100B+ lifetime volume · NHL/CNBC/CNN partner · powers Robinhood Predictions · dual-format pricing (%+x) · perpetuals · 3.25-3.95% APY on idle cash · IPO talks at $2B revenue run rate | Smallest welcome bonus in category · most excluded states (12) |
Polymarket
Code: POLYMARKET · QCEX exchange | 41 + DC excl. AZ IL MA MD MI MT NJ NV OH | $50 trading credits $20 deposit · 30-day | 589 geopolitics markets · 310 crypto markets · zero trading fees · world’s largest by user base · 4.7★ iOS app | Mobile-only promo · non-withdrawable trading credits · 30-day expiry |
DraftKings Predictions
Code: DRAFTKINGS · CME + Crypto.com | 38 states Sports in 17 no Delaware | $200 Predictions Dollars $5+ trade · 21-day drip | Largest cash-equivalent bonus · player props via Crypto.com · first parlay-style sports contract combos | All-American-odds format · not in PA, OH, NV · sports limited to 17 states |
FanDuel Predicts
Code: FANDUEL · CME Group | All 50 Sports in 18 CA TX FL GA DE + 13 | $25 Predicts Bonus 18 states only | Broadest nationwide non-sports access · mixed odds format · $200–$300M Flutter commitment | No player props or contract combos yet · smaller bonus than DraftKings |
Robinhood Predictions
Powered by Kalshi infrastructure | All 50 Sports in 47 excl. MD, NV, NJ for sports | Free stock $5–$200 general bonus | Lowest-friction entry for 25M existing Robinhood users · routes through Kalshi exchange · $0.02/contract fees | Sports depth lighter than Kalshi native · no player props or combos |
What Makes Kalshi Unique
- The first CFTC-licensed prediction market exchange (October 2020) — Kalshi created the regulatory framework every US competitor now operates within
- Volume leader at $100B lifetime notional (crossed June 15, 2026), first billion-dollar single trading days during the World Cup, $6.38B weekly notional during peak summer 2026
- Dual-format pricing display — every contract shows both implied probability (e.g., 31%) AND decimal multiplier (e.g., 3.08x). No other major US prediction market shows both
- Institutional partnerships no competitor matches — NHL official prediction market partner, CNBC multi-year exclusive, CNN data deal, Barchart financial data syndication, PrizePicks powered-by-Kalshi integration, Crypto.com coalition member
- Powers Robinhood Predictions on the back end — every event contract trade on Robinhood routes through Kalshi’s CFTC-licensed exchange
- Reported $2B+ annualized revenue run rate as of 2026, with early IPO talks underway
- Wealthsimple Canada launch (summer 2026) — first prediction market with formal Canadian regulatory access via Wealthsimple Predict
- Perpetuals product (Perps) recently launched with 0% fees for limited launch period — leverage-enabled position trading with no expiration date
- Sports contract Combos available for pro football and pro basketball — multi-contract bundled products with parlay-style payouts
- Variable 3.25–3.95% APY interest on idle cash and positions — the only prediction market that pays yield on uninvested balances
- Tax forms (1099-INT and 1099-MISC) issued at year-end, making US tax compliance significantly cleaner than competitors
- The most comprehensive responsible-trading infrastructure in the category — Inner Circle accountability tool, trading breaks, voluntary opt-outs, IC360 partnership, Birches Health partnership
- Cheapest US prediction-market entry by deposit — $1 minimum deposit on most current offers, $10 trading requirement to unlock the welcome bonus
- Deepest commodities markets in the US prediction-market category — Oil & Gas, Metals, Tech sub-verticals with structured price-target contracts
- Deepest Tech & Science markets — AI model rankings, GPT-6 release timing, SpaceX launch counts, nuclear power criticality, AI product release dates including markets on Anthropic Mythos and Claude vs Gemini
Llimitations worth knowing:
- Smallest welcome bonus in the category by absolute dollar value — $10-$20 typical vs Polymarket’s $50, DraftKings’ $200, FanDuel’s $25
- Bonus amount varies by affiliate code — making the offer landscape less straightforward than competitors with a single fixed promo
- 12 states excluded (AR, AZ, CT, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, MT, NJ, NV, OH) — the most excluded states of any major prediction market
- 2% fee on debit card deposits/withdrawals — ACH is free, but debit-card users pay more than at competing platforms
- Massachusetts exit for sports event trading within 30 days (announced June 2026)
- Nevada legal action ongoing — Nevada Gaming Control Board filed contempt motion June 15, 2026 alleging Kalshi failed to geofence the state
- Multiple state lawsuits active in 2026 — Wisconsin (June 10), New Mexico (CFTC vs state, June 12), Kentucky (Kalshi+Crypto.com+Polymarket suing Kentucky over 14.25% transaction tax, June 13)
- Sports event trading not available in all states — even where the platform itself operates, specific sports verticals may be restricted

Kalshi Legal States: Full 2026 List
Available: 38 states + DC
Kalshi is currently available to users 18+ in 38 states + Washington, DC as of 2026 for non-sports markets. Sports event contracts are available in most but not all of those states, with state-by-state restrictions evolving as legal challenges play out.
Excluded states (12): Kalshi not available
- Arkansas (state regulator action)
- Arizona (state regulator restrictions)
- Connecticut (state regulator restrictions)
- Illinois (state regulator restrictions)
- Louisiana (state regulator restrictions)
- Massachusetts (sports event trading exit announced June 2026; non-sports access also restricted)
- Maryland (state regulator restrictions)
- Michigan (state regulator restrictions)
- Montana (state regulator restrictions)
- Nevada (active legal challenge — Nevada Gaming Control Board contempt motion June 15, 2026)
- New Jersey (state regulator restrictions)
- Ohio (state regulator restrictions)
Who Is Kalshi Best For?
Best for users who want the institutional product depth. NHL official partnership, CNBC multi-year exclusive, CNN data integration, PrizePicks integration, Wealthsimple Canada launch, $2B annualized revenue run rate, reported IPO talks — Kalshi is the institutional prediction-market product. If you want to use the platform that the financial-media institutions are partnering with, Kalshi.
Best for users who want both percentage and decimal-multiplier pricing. Kalshi is the only major US prediction market that displays both formats simultaneously. If you think about prediction-market positions in terms of expected value calculations and position sizing rather than just sports-style implied probabilities, Kalshi’s dual-format display is the cleanest UX in the category.
Best for traders who want the deepest commodities markets. Oil & Gas sub-categories with Brent Crude, Gasoline, Natural Gas, WTI Crude. Metals sub-categories with Copper, Gold, Silver. Tech sub-categories with Compute and Token markets. Structured price-target contracts running on tomorrow, this week, this month, end-of-quarter and end-of-year horizons. No US prediction-market competitor runs commodity markets at this depth.
Best for traders who want the deepest Tech & Science markets. AI model rankings (Claude vs Gemini vs ChatGPT), GPT-6 release timing markets, SpaceX launch-count contracts, nuclear-power criticality markets (Atomic Alchemy vs Oklo), interstellar-visitor confirmation markets, Anthropic product release date markets (including markets on the release of Anthropic Mythos and the restoration of Fable 5 US access). This vertical doesn’t exist anywhere else.
Best for users who care about responsible trading infrastructure. Inner Circle accountability tool (share trading activity with trusted people), system-recommended personalized deposit limits, trading breaks (self-imposed cool-offs), voluntary opt-outs, IC360 partnership, Birches Health partnership. Kalshi has built the most comprehensive responsible-trading toolkit in the prediction-market category.
Best for fee-sensitive ACH users. ACH bank transfer deposits and withdrawals are free on Kalshi. The 2% debit-card fee makes debit a worse path, but ACH users get the cheapest deposit/withdrawal experience in the category.
Best for users who want yield on idle balances. 3.25–3.95% variable APY on uninvested cash is unique in the prediction-market category. If you keep meaningful balances in your trading account between active positions, Kalshi is the only platform that pays you to do it.
Best for users who want clean tax documentation. 1099-INT and 1099-MISC tax forms make Kalshi the cleanest platform for US tax compliance. Capital gains treatment of trading profits is potentially more favorable than gambling-income treatment at sportsbooks.
Not the best fit for: users in AR, AZ, CT, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, MT, NJ, NV or OH (use Polymarket or DraftKings/FanDuel depending on which is available in your state); users who prioritize the largest welcome bonus (Polymarket’s $50 or DraftKings’ $200); users who want sportsbook-style parlays beyond Kalshi’s pro football and pro basketball combos (DraftKings has broader player props and combo support); users who want sportsbook-style polish without learning a new pricing format (FanDuel Predicts or DraftKings Predictions); users who already use Robinhood and want the lowest-friction integrated experience (use Robinhood Predictions — which routes through Kalshi anyway).
Kalshi FAQs
Is Kalshi legal in the US in 2026? Yes. Kalshi is regulated as a Designated Contract Market by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) — the same federal agency that regulates futures and derivatives trading on Wall Street. Kalshi was the first CFTC-licensed prediction-market exchange (October 2020) and the longest-operating CFTC-regulated event-contract platform in the US. Kalshi is available in 38 states + DC as of 2026. Excluded states: AR, AZ, CT, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, MT, NJ, NV, OH.
Is Kalshi legal in California? Yes. California residents 18+ have full access to the Kalshi platform including sports event contracts. CA’s restrictions on traditional online sports betting don’t apply because Kalshi operates under federal CFTC regulation.
Is Kalshi legal in Texas? Yes. Texas residents have full Kalshi access including all sports event contracts.
Is Kalshi legal in Florida? Yes. Florida residents 18+ can trade the full Kalshi catalog. Florida’s exclusive Hard Rock Bet / Seminole Tribe sports betting agreement doesn’t preempt federally-regulated CFTC event contracts.
Is Kalshi legal in New York? Yes — NY is one of the 38 + DC available states for the Kalshi platform.
Why isn’t Kalshi available in my state? Twelve states have restricted Kalshi: AR, AZ, CT, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, MT, NJ, NV, OH. Most exclusions stem from state regulator interpretations of CFTC sports event contracts versus state-licensed gambling. Massachusetts also has a pending sports-event-trading exit (within 30 days). Nevada has an active Gaming Control Board contempt motion.
What is the Kalshi promo code for the welcome bonus? The brand-name reference is KALSHI, but the actual bonus amount you receive depends on the affiliate code you use at sign-up.Kalhsi & LOCALS code unlock the maximum $20 bonus;
What’s the Kalshi referral code? The Kalshi referral code is a unique code that existing users generate from their Account section and share with friends. Referred users get the standard welcome bonus; the referrer earns $25 per referral after the referred user completes 100 trades within 30 days. The 100-trade threshold is high but the reward is uncapped.
What’s the minimum deposit on Kalshi? $1 on most current promo codes. This is the lowest minimum deposit in the US prediction-market category. The $10 trading requirement to unlock the welcome bonus is also among the lowest in the category.
What are Kalshi’s trading fees? Kalshi charges per-contract trading fees based on a published fee schedule. Specific fees depend on contract price and contract count. Deposits: debit card carries 2% fee, ACH bank transfer is free, wire is free, Apple Pay is free, USDC crypto is free. Withdrawals: same fee structure.
Does Kalshi pay interest on idle balances? Yes. Kalshi pays 3.25–3.95% variable APY on cash and positions held in the platform. This is unique in the US prediction-market category.
What are Kalshi withdrawal hold times? 3 days for debit card, 7 days for same-bank ACH, 30 days for different-bank ACH. Wire transfers have their own timing. Daily debit-card withdrawals cap at $2,500; bank ACH transfers have no withdrawal cap.
Does Kalshi offer parlays or contract combos? Yes, but limited. Combos are currently available for pro football and pro basketball only as of 2026 — these are multi-contract bundled products with parlay-style payouts. Other sports verticals don’t have combo support yet.
Does Kalshi offer perpetuals? Yes. Kalshi launched its Perpetuals (Perps) product in 2026 with 0% fees during the limited launch period — leverage-enabled position trading with no expiration date. CME sued the CFTC over the approval of Kalshi’s Bitcoin perpetual futures contract.
How does Kalshi compare to Polymarket? Both are CFTC-regulated and use percentage pricing ($0.01-$0.99). Kalshi adds decimal-multiplier display on every contract. Kalshi has the largest US trading volume and the deepest sports, commodities, finance and Tech & Science markets. Polymarket has the deepest geopolitics and global markets, the larger $50 welcome bonus (vs Kalshi’s $10-$20), and zero trading fees (vs Kalshi’s per-contract fee structure). Polymarket is in 41 + DC states; Kalshi is in 38 + DC states. Both excluded from Nevada.
How does Kalshi compare to DraftKings Predictions? Kalshi has dramatically deeper non-sports markets and the institutional partnerships DK doesn’t have. DraftKings has the larger Predictions-specific welcome bonus ($200 vs Kalshi’s $10-$20), player props via Crypto.com partnership, and sportsbook-style American odds. Kalshi has more excluded states (12 vs DK’s 12 if you count by total platform restrictions) but broader geographic coverage of non-sports markets.
How does Kalshi compare to FanDuel Predicts? FanDuel Predicts is available in all 50 states for non-sports (vs Kalshi’s 38 + DC) but Kalshi has dramatically deeper markets in commodities, finance, Tech & Science. FanDuel offers $25 in 18 sports-eligible states; Kalshi offers $10-$20 nationwide where available. Kalshi has Combos for pro football/basketball; FanDuel has no combo product yet.
How does Kalshi compare to Robinhood Predictions? Robinhood Predictions is powered by Kalshi on the back end — every event contract trade on Robinhood routes through Kalshi’s exchange. Differences: Robinhood is integrated into the main Robinhood brokerage app (no separate download required for existing Robinhood users), is available in all 50 states for non-sports, and charges $0.02 per contract. Kalshi is a standalone app with deeper market analytics, the dual-format pricing display, Combos for pro football/basketball, and the institutional Wealthsimple/CNBC/NHL partnerships.
Is Kalshi safe? Kalshi operates as a CFTC-regulated Designated Contract Market under federal exchange regulation. Funds are held under regulated clearinghouse custody. Account security includes default Face ID, KYC verification, and exchange-grade security practices. Kalshi is SOC 2 Type II compliant. The platform offers comprehensive responsible-trading tools including Inner Circle accountability sharing, trading breaks, voluntary opt-outs, IC360 partnership and Birches Health partnership.
Are Kalshi winnings taxed differently from sports betting? Potentially yes. Kalshi operates under CFTC regulation as event-contract trading rather than gambling, and issues 1099-INT and 1099-MISC tax forms. Trading profits may be treated as capital gains rather than gambling income for federal tax purposes. This is not tax advice — consult a CPA familiar with CFTC-regulated event contracts before filing.
Does Kalshi have a desktop website? Yes. Unlike Polymarket’s mobile-first approach, Kalshi works equally well on desktop (kalshi.com) and the iOS / Android mobile apps. Sign-up flows, deposits, trading, withdrawals — all available on both desktop and mobile.
Is Kalshi launching in Canada? Yes. The Wealthsimple partnership announced in 2026 will launch Wealthsimple Predict in summer 2026 with access to 4,000+ Kalshi event contracts for Canadian users.
Locals Insider Disclaimer: Prediction markets are speculative financial instruments and carry real risk of loss. They are not the same as guaranteed investments and outcomes can shift rapidly with news events. Never trade more than you can afford to lose, verify the legal status of any prediction market platform in your state before signing up, and consult a financial advisor or tax professional for personalized advice. In most US states, prediction market platforms restrict access to users aged 18.















