Kalshi bans Mark Moran for five years over self-trading on political market

Prediction market platform Kalshi has issued a five-year suspension and a $6,229.30 penalty to Mark Moran after he placed a $100 wager on himself in a political market, according to the exchange’s published disciplinary findings.

Trader requested his own name be added to market

Moran asked Kalshi’s political markets team to add his name to a market about prospective candidates. The platform obliged within a day, leaving him free to buy $100 in contracts on his own political future, he said.

Kalshi stated that Moran admitted breaching its rules but failed to reach a settlement. The exchange initially offered him a one-year suspension and an $800 fine, Moran claims, only to raise the proposed penalties to a five-year ban and a fine of approximately $6,200 after he refused to make a public statement.

Legal challenge and regulatory scrutiny

Moran has challenged the company’s handling of his case through litigation, accusing it of acting in bad faith. Kalshi did not respond to Gambling Insider’s request for comment by the time of publication.

The case follows Kalshi’s permanent ban of George Santos, who was found to have traded on his own attendance at the State of the Union address while serving as a paid Polymarket promoter. Santos said his attorneys had offered to submit an amicus brief supporting New York Attorney General Letitia James’s legal efforts against Kalshi.

New York’s gaming regulator has sought court intervention to compel Kalshi to comply with investigative subpoenas concerning sports-event contracts, advertising, products offered to younger customers and its corporate structure.

Polymarket marketing executive terminated

In June, Politico reported that Matthew Modabber, Polymarket Chief Marketing Officer, sent at least $350,000 to content creators between January 2025 and February 2026. About two dozen creators promoted Polymarket on X after taking payments from Modabber, posting at least 490 times without disclosing a paid partnership. His employment at the company was terminated last week.