US Senators Adam Schiff and John Curtis are anticipated to introduce a bipartisan invoice on Monday that might bar sports activities betting and “casino-style” contracts from prediction markets regulated by the Commodity Futures Buying and selling Fee (CFTC), in keeping with a Monday Wall Avenue Journal report.
“Too many younger individuals in Utah are getting uncovered to addictive sports activities betting and casino-style gaming contracts that belong below state management, not below federal regulators,” Senator Curtis, one of many invoice’s co-sponsors, advised the WSJ.
If launched as reported, the measure would add to a widening Washington push in opposition to sure prediction market contracts. The report provides to the rising regulatory scrutiny over prediction markets, following renewed insider buying and selling issues sparked by the US-Israeli battle with Iran.
On March 10, Schiff launched the DEATH BETS Act, a invoice looking for to ban CFTC-regulated prediction markets from itemizing contracts tied to battle, terrorism, assassination and particular person demise.
Associated: Prediction markets increase on Iran bets as Congress eyes ban
Sports activities markets drive buying and selling quantity
Sports activities betting is a number one supply of buying and selling exercise on prediction market platforms. Sports activities-related contracts accounted for 47.7% of Polymarket’s weekly notional quantity and 78.8% for Kalshi final week, in keeping with Dune knowledge.
Sports activities betting generated $1.2 billion in weekly notional buying and selling quantity for Polymarket and $2.6 billion for Kalshi.
State and federal traces blur
The regulatory strain has additionally intensified exterior Congress. On March 12, the CFTC issued a employees advisory classifying occasion contracts on prediction markets as a “monetary asset class.”
The commodities regulator additionally submitted an Superior Discover of Proposed Rulemaking, asking for public suggestions on how the Commodity Trade Act (CEA) would apply to prediction markets. Polymarket and Kalshi are regulated by the CFTC as Designated Contract Markets (DCM).
Associated: Kalshi, Polymarket face buying and selling halt in Nevada after courtroom rulings
Whereas CFTC Chair Michael Selig claimed the CFTC had “unique jurisdiction” over prediction markets, an Ohio decide examined that declare in a March 9 ruling, saying that Kalshi had failed to indicate the CEA “would essentially preempt Ohio’s sports activities playing legal guidelines,” or that these sports activities betting contracts would fall below the “unique jurisdiction” of the CFTC.
On Friday, a Nevada decide briefly blocked Kalshi from providing sports activities, election and leisure occasion contracts within the state for 14 days, discovering regulators have been fairly doubtless to reach arguing the markets violated Nevada playing legislation.
Cointelegraph approached the senators for remark and a duplicate of the draft invoice.
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