Kalshi Opens DC Office, Names Biden-Era Insider to Lead Federal Outreach
Kalshi has announced the opening of a Washington, D.C. office and appointed John Bivona as its first Head of Federal Government Relationships.
Bivona has almost two decades of political experience, including roles in the Biden administration and Democratic congressional campaigns. Most notably, he was the first White House Liaison with the Department of Homeland Security.
The press release explained that the company aims to expand its focus on government relationships and “to promote responsible innovation in financial markets.”
Kalshi also plans to hire more people “from both sides of the aisle.” The move comes as political forecasters increasingly expect Democrats to perform well in the November midterm elections. That shift could alter control of Congress and reshape the federal regulatory environment.
Getting Help to Deal With State AGs
Blake Bee is also on board to oversee Kalshi’s state policy efforts. Before, he served time as Amazon’s Senior Manager of State and Local Public Policy. In that role, he worked directly with state attorneys general.
That experience could be crucial, as several attorneys general have challenged Kalshi in recent months. Most notably, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell secured a landmark ruling on January 20 that barred Kalshi from continuing to offer sports event contracts in the state while legal action is pending.
The decision marked the first time a state successfully obtained a court order forcing a federally regulated prediction market to suspend sports-related offerings.
A More Open Federal Regulatory Climate
Prediction market platforms have enjoyed a relatively open road since the Trump administration took power. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) hasn’t banned or tightly restricted event-based contracts since the handover in January 2025.
This contrasts with the approach under the Biden administration. Rostin Behnam acted as CFTC chairman for four years, including a period as acting chair. Observers widely viewed him as a strong market overseer.
The newly appointed CFTC Chairman, Michael Selig, was nominated by President Trump. In his recent op-ed in the Washington Post, he mentioned that the Biden administration “focused on regulation by enforcement.”
He said that this approach of subjecting innovative new products to inappropriate regulation led to “many of the most enterprising businesses offshore.” While Selig’s approach to prediction markets has so far been cautious, he has proclaimed that the CFTC is “charting a new course” under his leadership.
Industry analysts also note that Donald Trump Jr. serves as an advisor to both Kalshi and rival platform Polymarket. That adds another political dimension to the sector’s evolving regulatory landscape.
As the midterm elections approach, Kalshi’s Washington expansion adds a new layer of political and regulatory positioning, even as state-level legal challenges continue to test the boundaries of prediction markets.
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