The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted 5-0 to remain a member of the National Council on Problem Gambling, despite concern among commissioners over the council’s relationship with prediction-market operator Kalshi. The commission accepted a recommendation from its research and responsible gaming department, while making clear that it could reconsider at renewal.
The decision, first reported by MassLive, left Massachusetts apart from regulators in Michigan and Ohio that had ended their ties to the council after Kalshi joined. The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling also withdrew in August, citing Kalshi’s presence and prediction-market litigation in Nevada.
Michigan’s Gaming Control Board withdrew on July 1, saying the council’s partnership with Kalshi risked undermining state regulatory efforts and could lead consumers to believe Kalshi received the same oversight and protections as licensed sports-betting operators. The board said Kalshi’s description of sports-event contracts as investment products conflicted with responsible-gaming principles that present gambling as entertainment rather than a financial strategy.
Ohio Casino Control Commission interim director Andromeda Morrison made similar arguments, saying the council’s actions were “not neutral” and could confuse customers about the protection afforded by prediction-market platforms. She also criticized the creation of a membership category that she said appeared designed to bring in other operators considered illegal in Ohio.
Massachusetts commissioners discussed those withdrawals before deciding to stay. Commissioner Eileen O’Brien said there was overlap with matters the commission regulates and substantial litigation around them, adding that severing ties could eventually become necessary. Commissioner Paul Brodeur raised the concern that Kalshi could be seeking to weaken a watchdog that should scrutinize prediction markets, while Commissioner Nakisha Skinner said it was troubling to portray gambling as an investment rather than entertainment.
The commission will monitor Kalshi’s inroads into Massachusetts and litigation brought by attorneys general, including Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell. Chairman Jordan Maynard said the council was “on notice” and that the commission would hold it to its values.
Kalshi joined as the first platinum-level member of NCPG’s new Financial Services & Trading Subcategory after making a $2 million, two-year investment. NCPG said the funding supports its Financial Trader Health and Safety Initiative, including consumer education, awareness of problematic behavior and resources intended to encourage responsible trading.
The council maintains that it is neutral on the legality of particular gambling, wagering and prediction products. It describes Kalshi as a federally regulated exchange and says its safeguards include trading breaks, self-limits, self-exclusion and mental-health resources. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said prediction markets carry risks and that the company was investing in tools, education and protections for customer safety.
Maynard said Massachusetts would revisit the issue when its NCPG membership renewal comes up.
