CFTC to police electing-betting platforms, Chair Behnam says

Wednesday, October 23, 2024 3:23 PM
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  • Lydia Beyoud, Bloomberg

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission will police registered political derivatives markets despite its best efforts to kill them, agency Chairman Rostin Behnam said during a Tuesday interview with Bloomberg Television.

The futures and swaps regulator finds itself having to serve as what Behnam likens to an “elections cop” even as it wages a court fight with Kalshi Inc., an exchange that lets Americans bet on election outcomes.

“We’ll pursue any action, as we do in any part of our markets,” Behnam said. He added that the agency is still litigating an appeal of a September court decision allowing Kalshi’s political prediction-market contracts to move forward.