Episode 22: Kalshi Did A Deal With FIFA... Or Did It?

Daniel O’Boyle of InGame and I did an “emergency” podcast today to deal with all of the news that dropped on Friday morning. That includes a deal between Kalshi and FIFA…or rather Kalshi and ADI Predictstreet, apparently?Kalshi and ADI Predictstreet Announce Strategic Partnership to Expand Global Prediction Market Footprint during World Cup™ and Beyond (press release): ADI Predictstreet, the Official Prediction Market Partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, today announced a strategic branding and product partnership with Kalshi, the world’s leading prediction market exchange. This collaboration will expand prediction markets globally, providing billions of fans with new ways to engage with the world’s biggest sporting event.Heading into the knockout stage, Kalshi will be co-branded alongside ADI Predictstreet in stadium, TV, and online placements. Longer term, Kalshi will provide market expansion to ADI Predictstreet’s platform.In the first two weeks of World Cup™ play, Kalshi has seen explosive growth. Last week, it experienced record daily volume of $1 billion-plus. The company has inked a number of World Cup™ focused partnerships including with the Argentine Football Association (AFA,) Men in Blazers, Luka Modric, and the Croatian Football Federation. It currently controls approximately 90% of the regulated U.S. prediction market share, according to Bank of America.Dimitrios Psarrakis, Chief Executive Officer of ADI Predictstreet, said: “This is a transformational moment for our industry. Kalshi has built one of the most recognized prediction market platforms in the world, together we have an extraordinary opportunity to leverage ADI Chain’s capabilities to introduce prediction markets to millions of new users through football’s biggest stage. Our ambition extends far beyond the World Cup™. We are building the foundations for a truly global prediction market ecosystem powered by world-class technology.”Tarek Mansour, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kalshi, said: “The World Cup™ is the largest stage for any brand. We see this as a massive opportunity to increase global awareness and fan engagement.”• A New York Times story earlier in the morning said: “Kalshi is expected to announce on Friday that it has become an official partner of FIFA, thanks to a branding and product deal with the World Cup’s existing prediction market partner, the little-known platform ADI Predictstreet.”• Kalshi posted and then deleted that the deal was with FIFA:https://x.com/DustinGouker/status/2070522854945472693?s=20• More context:https://x.com/BenHorney/status/2070516886798844385?s=20• Update on Kalshi volume and revenue.___Polymarket US Is Self-Certifying ’Next Team’ Markets, Including High School Recruits Signing With Colleges:Update: Polymarket tells me that it is withdrawing the self-certification for NCAA “next team” markets.Polymarket US is self-certifying player movement markets for a number of major team sports. That would seem to indicate that Major League Baseball — which is a partner of Polymarket — could be OK with that type of market. And Polymarket could also allow markets on high school players committing to college programs, per new filings.___DraftKings Launches Proprietary Exchange to Bolster Differentiated Predictions Experience (press release): DraftKings Inc. today announced the launch of its proprietary prediction markets exchange, DKeX, with integration into the unified DraftKings: Sports & Casino app, further advancing the DraftKings Predictions experience. The launch positions the Company to innovate more rapidly through greater ownership over content depth, operating economics, and the end-to-end customer experience. DKeX marks the next phase in DraftKings’ prediction markets evolution, strengthening its ability to deliver differentiated sports experiences across the country alongside its leading sportsbook.<p