{
  "id": 12875655,
  "title": "A senator tried to ban gambling on prediction markets—now she's a Kalshi lobbyist",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/a-senator-tried-to-ban-gambling-on-prediction-markets-now-shes-a-12875655",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-08T11:00:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica Policy",
    "slug": "ars-technica-policy",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/10/a-senator-tried-to-ban-gambling-on-prediction-markets-now-shes-a-kalshi-lobbyist/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In July 2010, US Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) spoke out against the potential problems posed by prediction markets. During Senate proceedings on the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Lincoln warned that these markets might evade gambling laws by offering event contracts that allowed people to wager on events like the Super Bowl or the Kentucky Derby. Lincoln herself played a key role in crafting the law that now regulates prediction markets, explaining that such contracts would not serve any genuine commercial purpose and would be used solely for gambling. Today, Lincoln has changed roles - she now works as a lobbyist for prediction market Kalshi, urging the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to allow sports gambling on these markets. It's worth noting that the firm she co-founded has received $480,000 from Kalshi since 2024 in return for lobbying efforts in Congress and the CFTC to push for looser regulation of event contracts on prediction markets.",
  "summary": "Sen. Blanche Lincoln wrote law that let US ban sports-event contracts. She lobbies for the other side now.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Fast Company",
        "title": "Kalshi’s COO thinks prediction markets can beat the polls",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/kalshis-coo-thinks-prediction-markets-can-beat-the-polls",
        "published": "2026-10-08T09:05:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ars Technica",
        "title": "A senator tried to ban gambling on prediction markets—now she's a Kalshi lobbyist",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/a-senator-tried-to-ban-gambling-on-prediction-markets-now-shes-a",
        "published": "2026-10-08T11:00:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}