Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Kalshi Permanently Bans George Santos Over Market Manipulation
Kalshi is a website where people trade contracts about what might happen.
George Santos made bets about whether he would attend Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
Kalshi said he publicly made misleading statements that changed the prices of those bets.
The company said he earned about $17,839 from the trades.
Kalshi’s investigators said there was reasonable cause to believe he manipulated the market and engaged in insider trading.
The platform permanently banned Santos and fined him $71,356.
Santos mocked the decision and called Kalshi unserious.
Kalshi also announced penalties against several other political candidates.
Kalshi permanently banned former Representative George Santos, its first lifetime ban.
The platform said Santos bet on his attendance at Donald Trump’s State of the Union address and made misleading public statements about it.
Kalshi’s compliance department found reasonable cause to believe Santos manipulated prices and engaged in insider trading.
The platform said Santos made $17,839.57 and fined him $71,356, citing his lack of cooperation.
Kalshi also announced temporary or three-year bans involving three other political candidates, including Laurie Buckhout.
- Who
- Kalshi and former U.S. Representative George Santos; other candidates, including Laurie Buckhout, were also sanctioned.
- What
- Kalshi permanently banned Santos, fined him $71,356, and accused him of manipulating contracts related to his State of the Union attendance.
- When
- The announcement was made Monday; Santos placed the relevant bets between February 2 and February 25.
- Where
- The activity occurred on Kalshi’s online prediction market platform and concerned attendance at the U.S. State of the Union address.
- Why
- Kalshi said Santos made misleading public statements intended to influence contract prices and did not cooperate with its investigation.
Kalshi’s enforcement position
George Santos’s response
Whether the conduct harmed the market
Kalshi’s enforcement position
Kalshi said Santos made false or misleading statements to manipulate the prices of contracts he intended to buy, and its compliance department found reasonable cause to believe he engaged in insider trading and market manipulation.
George Santos’s response
Santos rejected the action, calling the ban “frivolous nonsense” and Kalshi “an unserious company.”
Severity of the penalty
Kalshi’s enforcement position
Kalshi permanently barred Santos from direct or indirect access and imposed a fine several times larger than his reported profit, citing his lack of cooperation.
George Santos’s response
Santos mocked the lifetime ban and questioned how long Kalshi would remain in operation.
Broader enforcement policy
Kalshi’s enforcement position
Kalshi said other candidates who cooperated with its investigation would receive temporary or three-year bans rather than lifetime bans.
George Santos’s response
Buckhout characterized her own bets as a “dumb mistake,” while Santos separately disputed Kalshi’s action.
- Platform
- Kalshi
- Banned trader
- Former U.S. Representative George Santos
- Ban status
- Permanent, described as Kalshi’s first lifetime ban
- Reported profit
- $17,839.57
- Fine
- $71,356
- Contracts involved
- Whether Santos would attend Donald Trump’s State of the Union address
- Additional enforcement
- Three-year bans for Laurie Buckhout and failed gubernatorial candidates in California and Maine