Kalshi removed all affiliate badges on X on Monday after the platform revised its paid partnerships policy to prohibit promotional deals with accounts that post gambling and sports betting content.
The policy update, issued last week by X, bars paid affiliate accounts that post about “gambling products and services (including lotteries, social casinos, sports betting, and other gambling-related content).”
Nikita Bier, head of product at X, posted a meme depicting a utopian society with the caption, “The world without prediction market spam on X.”
The world without prediction market spam on X. pic.twitter.com/Mao9MHmIrx
— Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) February 19, 2026
Company response and badge confusion
A Kalshi spokesperson confirmed the removal in a statement to Front Office Sports, saying: “We’ve decided to remove Kalshi badges. People loved the badges, and it was a fun way to engage the community, but it became too difficult to police, and people often confused badged accounts with Kalshi-endorsed messages. We’ll figure out other ways to make things fun for our traders.”
Affiliate badge programs have been used by prediction market platforms, including Kalshi and Polymarket, to promote their brands. However, both companies have faced scrutiny tied to affiliate activity involving fake news and other problematic content, including racist posts. Kalshi previously likened the affiliate badges to “bumper stickers or team logos.”
As of late Monday night, some Polymarket accounts continued to display affiliate badges. In June, Polymarket entered into an agreement with X to serve as the platform’s “official prediction market partner.”
Ongoing regulatory disputes
The policy change comes at a time when prediction markets face litigation and scrutiny from state regulators. Disputes center on whether sports event contracts constitute sports betting, which is regulated on a state-by-state basis, or whether those contracts fall under federal commodities law.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has taken the position that prediction markets fall exclusively within its jurisdiction. Last week, the agency filed an amicus brief in a case originally brought by Crypto.com that is now before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, stating that prediction markets fall exclusively under its authority.
Mike Selig, recently approved chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, addressed the dispute in a video posted to social media. “To those who seek to challenge our authority in this space,” Selig said, “let me be clear: we will see you in court.”
Prediction markets have drawn criticism from multiple state regulators and have been involved in numerous lawsuits. They are viewed favorably by the Trump administration.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/02/24/117742-kalshi-removes-affiliate-badges-on-x-following-gambling-content-policy-change
