Polymarket and Kalshi Blocked on White House Networks

In the United States, prediction market platforms Polymarket and Kalshi are blocked on the White House press WiFi network and the House of Representatives’ WiFi network, while remaining accessible on the Senate’s network, as reported by Notus.

Access to Polymarket and Kalshi in Washington

The restrictions apply to the White House Press WiFi network as well as the House of Representatives’ network.

At the same time, the websites remain accessible when connected to the Senate’s WiFi network.

The exact timing of when the restrictions were introduced has not been disclosed.

Use of prediction markets during briefings

Bets ahead of White House briefings

Before press briefings begin, users of Polymarket and Kalshi place bets on the start time, duration, and content of the statements.

Wording related to U.S. domestic and foreign policy is actively used.

Large volumes of funds placed

Users have placed tens of thousands of dollars on events tied to presidential statements and staffing changes within the administration.

Some predictions have attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Why authorities are paying attention

Insider information incidents

Lawmakers’ interest increased after an incident in which an anonymous user made a large profit by placing a bet before the public announcement of a foreign leader’s detention.

This episode prompted senators to contact the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Legislative initiatives

A bill has been introduced in Congress to bar officials and government employees from using nonpublic information to trade on prediction markets.

The proposal applies to elected officials, their staff, and employees of federal agencies.

Positions of Polymarket and Kalshi

Status of platform operations

Kalshi states that its platform operates with financial contracts rather than gambling bets.

The service’s rules explicitly prohibit the use of insider information.

Industry representatives’ comments

Kalshi management has publicly supported regulatory initiatives.

At the same time, representatives of Polymarket have previously spoken about allowing participation by well-informed users.

Regulation and further developments

Access restrictions on government networks are being introduced alongside growing interest in prediction markets.

At the same time, lobbying activity by industry participants is increasing.