Kalshi sports markets are CFTC-regulated event contracts — not traditional sportsbook bets. Trade YES/NO on sports outcomes with real USD, no spread, no vig, no bookie. Available for NFL, NBA, MLB and World Cup 2026 on iOS and Android.
Kalshi sports markets are event contracts — binary YES/NO outcomes that pay $1.00 if the event occurs, $0 if not. Different from traditional sports betting in three key ways.
Every Kalshi sports market is a YES/NO event contract. "Will the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LX?" — buy YES at 28¢. If they win, your contract resolves at $1.00. If not, it expires at $0. Simple binary outcome, no spread or handicap.
All Kalshi sports contracts settle in US dollars — no crypto, no USDC, no blockchain. Winnings are credited to your USD balance instantly upon market resolution. Withdraw via ACH to your bank account with no fees.
Kalshi holds a CFTC Designated Contract Market (DCM) license — the same legal status as the CME and NYSE. This makes Kalshi sports event contracts legal for US residents in all 50 states, regardless of state-level sports betting laws.
Market prices are illustrative estimates — actual Kalshi contract prices fluctuate with trading activity.
Kalshi is not a sportsbook — it is a federally regulated exchange. Here's how they compare.
| Feature | Kalshi | DraftKings / FanDuel | Polymarket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal status | CFTC-regulated | State-by-state | Decentralised |
| Available states (US) | All 50 states | ~30 states | Restricted |
| House edge / vig | ~7–10% on wins | ~5–10% juice | Zero |
| Can ban winning users | No (exchange) | Yes | No |
| Currency | USD | USD | USDC |
| Fund protection | FDIC-insured | Varies by state | Non-custodial |
| Market types | Outcome only | Spreads, props, parlays | Outcome + stats |
Get the free Kalshi app from the App Store (iOS 15+) or Google Play (Android 8.0+). Available in all 50 US states as a CFTC-regulated exchange.
Sign up with email. Submit your US government ID and selfie for identity verification — required as a CFTC-regulated exchange. Approval takes 2–10 minutes.
Fund your account via ACH bank transfer (free) or debit card. Minimum $10. No crypto wallet needed — funds are FDIC-insured in USD at Kalshi's partner banks.
Tap the Sports category in the Kalshi app. Browse NFL, NBA, MLB, and World Cup 2026 event contracts. Each market shows the current YES price in cents — equal to the implied probability.
Tap YES (or NO) on any outcome, enter your dollar amount, and confirm. Example: buy $50 of "Chiefs win Super Bowl LX" YES at 28¢ — if the Chiefs win, you receive $50 / 0.28 = ~$178. Risk is capped at your $50 stake.
Yes — Kalshi is available in all 50 US states. Because Kalshi is regulated by the CFTC as a Designated Contract Market, it operates under federal law rather than state gambling regulations. This means residents of Texas, California, Florida, and other states without legal traditional sports betting can still trade Kalshi sports event contracts legally.
Kalshi is a federally regulated exchange — not a sportsbook. Key differences: (1) Kalshi is available in all 50 states; DraftKings/FanDuel are restricted to ~30. (2) Kalshi uses binary event contracts — YES/NO on a specific outcome; sportsbooks offer spreads, moneylines and parlays. (3) Kalshi cannot restrict or ban profitable traders; sportsbooks can and do limit winning accounts. (4) Kalshi funds are FDIC-insured in USD; sportsbook funds vary by state regulation.
Yes. Kalshi lists World Cup 2026 event contracts including tournament winner, semifinal qualifiers, and Golden Boot markets. WC 2026 is hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico — making it a particularly high-profile market on the Kalshi platform given its US user base. For broader WC 2026 coverage including individual match markets, Polymarket offers more granular options.
Kalshi charges a fee of approximately 7–10% on net winnings when a contract resolves in your favour. There is no fee on losing trades, no deposit fee, no withdrawal fee, and no per-trade commission. For example, if you buy $100 of YES contracts and win $200 profit, Kalshi's fee is approximately $14–20 of that profit. This is lower than the typical 10% vig charged by traditional sportsbooks on both sides of a bet.
CFTC-regulated · All 50 states · USD · iOS & Android
18+ · US residents · Financial risk · CFTC regulated
