5 big questions about prediction markets and gambling
5 big questions about prediction markets and gambling
- October 9, 2026
- In this essay for Good Authority, Erin Lockwood, political science, shares why states want to have a bigger say in regulating popular online platforms
-----
“Prediction markets are in the headlines this week. The NFL wants the Supreme Court to give states greater control over these popular platforms and treat sports betting practices as gambling. Trading volumes continue to rise rapidly, facilitated by the Trump administration’s enthusiastic encouragement of online platforms that allow users to place bets on everything from the outcome of sports contests (roughly 90% of Kalshi’s trading volume) to the number of times a politician will use a specific word – as well as election outcomes.
Curious about the ethics and the legality of, for example, betting on wildfires or war outcomes? Is this legal? Should it be? And if so, who decides?
Whether states or the federal government are the appropriate regulator to resolve these questions lies at the heart of current legal battles over sports contracts on Kalshi.”
Continue reading, courtesy of Good Authority.
-----
Would you like to get more involved with the social sciences? Email us at communications@socsci.uci.edu to connect.
Related News Items