Prediction market Kalshi is adding identity checks and shared account tools as younger users try betting on prediction market services.
Kalshi, one of the largest prediction markets, is trying to solve a problem that looks minor on paper but gets messy fast in practice about who is actually placing the bets.
The platform is rolling out new tools aimed at stopping minors from sneaking onto its prediction markets, CEO Tarek Mansour said on Wednesday at Semafor World Economy.
The fix targets a simple workaround where kids use a parent’s ID. Kalshi plans to launch a parent portal where adults can upload their identification even if they never trade and check whether their identity is being used on the platform.
The company is also adding selfie based checks to accounts. If a profile lists a 50 year old parent but the camera shows a teenager the system is intended to flag it.
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Social Monitoring to Control Betting on Prediction Markets
Kalshi is also moving toward features that resemble social monitoring rather than traditional compliance. Mansour said a new “family accounts” option would allow users to track each other’s activity, giving friends or relatives visibility into how often someone is placing bets.
That introduces a layer of peer oversight to a market that already sits between trading and gambling. Mansour described it as a way to prompt users earlier, rather than intervening after activity escalates.
Data from crypto VC giant Paradigm, which has also invested in Kalshi, shows the platform has more than $626 million in open interest. Sports accounts for the largest share at $362 million as of April 14, followed by politics at $180 million and culture at $21.3 million.
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