Kalshi introduces deposit cap for young traders under new safeguards

Kalshi will cap deposits at $2,500 per month for traders aged 18 to 20 under new safeguards the prediction market operator announced Tuesday.

The prediction market says the changes are meant to reduce problem trading among young adults and encourage responsible play as the U.S. midterm elections approach. Users need only be 18 years old to trade on Kalshi, while most states set a minimum age of 21 for sportsbooks.

New alerts and partnerships

Kalshi will also alert new traders with balances above $1,000 who put more than 25% of their funds into a single trade, encouraging them to diversify. The platform offers trading breaks, self-limits, self-exclusion and mental health resources to its users.

Kalshi partnered with parent and youth safety organizations Parent ProTech and ConnectSafely to publish guides to prediction markets for parents. The operator also partnered with the National Council on Problem Gambling and invested $2 million in the organization. As part of the deal, the NCPG created a Financial Services & Trading membership category naming Kalshi as a platinum-level member.

The announcement came a day after both Kalshi and Polymarket formed a partnership with the NBA to become the “Preferred Prediction Market Exchange of the NBA.”

Industry context

Novig and Fanatics Markets are two prediction market platforms that set their minimum age at 21.

Polymarket followed suit and added a host of responsible gaming tools commonly found on regulated sports betting apps. It also partnered with Birches Health to provide mental health treatment.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission, Michigan Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling all withdrew from the NCPG over the summer. Executive director Heather Maurer resigned last month and Charles H. Jeffers II was appointed as interim executive director on Monday.