Head of Corporate Development
Kalshi
Sara Slane is the Head of Corporate Development at Kalshi, the first federally regulated prediction market in the United States. She played a central role in the U.S. gaming industry’s most significant regulatory victory — the repeal of PASPA in 2018. Before joining Kalshi to guide its strategic expansion into sports prediction markets, she led public affairs for the American Gaming Association.
Slane was the major force behind the public campaign to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018 during her tenure at the AGA. Her strategic communication and coalition-building efforts were instrumental in securing the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the federal ban. This landmark decision paved the way for today’s multi-billion-dollar legal sports betting industry in the U.S.
She also spearheaded the “Question 7” ballot initiative in Maryland while working for MGM Resorts International. Slane managed the massive political campaign that authorized the issuance of a casino license in Prince George’s County. This directly led to the development and licensing of the $1.4 billion MGM National Harbor luxury resort.
Moreover, as she launched her own consultancy, Slane brokered landmark market access and authorized gaming operator deals for major clients, including the NHL, NASCAR, the PGA Tour, and Sinclair Broadcast Group. Her efforts helped design the commercial architecture for how sports leagues monetize betting data and intellectual property.
Sara Slane’s impact on the industry hasn’t gone unnoticed. She was inducted into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame as a part of the class of 2020 and named to the Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 list in 2019.
Slane was recognized as one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists for 2018. In the same year, she received the Gold Stevie Award for Best Communications Campaign. More recently, she was included on the Gaming Intelligence Hot 50 list for 2026.
At the beginning of her career, she also worked in political campaign management. She served as the Director of Finance for the successful Attorney General campaign for Catherine Cortez Masto, who is a U.S. Senator.
She has served as a board member for Playmaker Capital and Delaware North, and as a board observer for GeoComply, utilizing her regulatory expertise to guide governance for major gaming technology and hospitality firms.
Sara Slane has often been referred to as “the face of legalized sports betting”. This moniker was given by industry media for her frequent appearances on major networks such as CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg — particularly during the PASPA legal battle.
Her move to Kalshi in 2025 marked a significant pivot from traditional sports betting to event wagering. By joining one of the top CFTC-regulated prediction markets in the U.S., she positioned herself at the forefront of the “next evolution” of financial markets where users trade on event outcomes.
As a part of her announcement after joining Kalshi in 2025, she commented on LinkedIn (as reported by Gambling Insider):
In large part due to their obsession with product experience, I have never seen a company in a stage of explosive growth like Kalshi. Within a few months of launching sports, they have already managed to build a frontier product experience, with better pricing, robust risk management, and captivating live charts. The trading volume, web traffic, attention in the media, and the long list of companies ready to integrate as brokers with Kalshi is staggering.
I’m joining as Head of Corporate Development to help handle some of that integration demand. There’s palpable industry excitement about the benefits prediction markets can provide, and I’m thrilled to be working towards a future where all of the operators have prediction markets as part of their product.
Sara Slane
While serving as the AGA’s Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, she warned against the NCAA ignoring a massive, illegal sports betting market:
Sports wagering is a multi-billion dollar, sophisticated enterprise that, if left primarily in the shadows, will continue to threaten competition and bet integrity, tax law enforcement resources and perpetuate the vulnerability of athletes — particularly unpaid amateur athletes — to bad actors in the illegal market.
The AGA continues to support the expansion of legal, regulated sports wagering. In the eight states where sports betting is now legal, consumers have a viable, safe alternative to place bets and benefit from the protection of stringent oversight by experienced gaming regulators. Without legalisation, none of these protections exist, and we leave game and bet integrity, consumers, and athletes vulnerable.
Sara Slane
A: Sara Slane is a well-established name in the gaming and sports betting industry in the U.S. As the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs of the American Gaming Association, she played a crucial role in the repeal of PASPA in 2018. She is currently appointed as the Head of Corporate Development at Kalshi and runs her own consulting firm, Slane Advisory.
A: Sara Slane holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Political Science from Ohio University. She graduated in 2002.
A: Sara Slane became the Head of Corporate Development at Kalshi in April 2025. As such, she is responsible for leading the company’s strategic partnerships, navigating regulatory integration, and managing relationships with sports leagues and media companies.
A: Slane is recognized as a key strategist behind the repeal of PASPA in 2018 during her tenure at the American Gaming Association as the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs. She led the campaign that convinced stakeholders and the public of the benefits of a regulated market. This campaign culminated in the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize sports betting in the U.S.
