Kalshi opens Washington office, names Bivona to lead U.S. government relations

Kalshi has opened a new office in Washington, D.C., and hired veteran Democratic strategist John Bivona as its first head of federal government relations, as the prediction markets operator steps up engagement with U.S. policymakers amid mounting regulatory scrutiny.

Kalshi, which is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said the move reflects its intention to engage more directly with federal and state officials as prediction markets gain traction and face growing opposition from regulators.

Bivona brings nearly two decades of experience in Democratic politics and government. He previously served as the first White House liaison at the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration, held senior roles at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and was chief of staff to former New York congressman Antonio Delgado.

“Bivona has helped elect Democrats at the Presidential, Senate, and House levels,” Kalshi said in a statement, adding that he advised and recruited candidates during the 2018 election cycle that shifted control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Most recently, Bivona ran his own advisory and lobbying firm, working with both large companies and startups.

The hire has prompted political speculation in a polarized U.S. environment, with some observers suggesting it could signal expectations of sustained Democratic influence following the 2026 midterm elections or counter perceptions that Kalshi leans politically to the right. The company, however, has said it is not overtly political.

Kalshi is also a founding member of the Coalition for Prediction Markets (CPM), which has announced former Democratic and Republican lawmakers in leadership roles. The company’s law firm, Cooley LLP, directed more than 92% of its political donations in the 2024 election cycle to Democrats, according to publicly available data.

In parallel with its federal push, Kalshi has hired Blake Bee to lead state-level government relations. Bee previously served as a senior manager of state and local public policy at Amazon, worked at the National Association of Attorneys General and held roles within the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.

The focus on state outreach comes as Kalshi faces legal challenges from several U.S. states over its sports-related contracts. Regulators in Arizona, Tennessee, Connecticut, and Massachusetts have argued that the offerings amount to unlicensed sports betting under state law.

Court rulings have been mixed. A federal judge in Nevada ruled last year that Kalshi must comply with state gaming regulations, a decision the company is appealing, while a judge in Tennessee temporarily blocked state officials from halting the contracts. 

Kalshi has grown rapidly in recent months, reporting $6.58 billion in monthly trading volume, making it the world’s largest prediction market by volume. Rival Polymarket logged $2.28 billion over the same period.

Trading surged during the NFL season, with Kalshi processing roughly $441 million in volume in the first four days after kickoff, chief executive Tarek Mansour said.

Pressure on prediction markets has also increased on Capitol Hill. Proposed legislation backed by more than 30 Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, seeks to limit interactions between government officials and prediction markets following controversy surrounding a high-profile Polymarket bet linked to events in Venezuela.