Kalshi has been working overtime to erase any bets on its prediction market that involve Charlie Kirk. The conservative activist was shot dead in Utah on Wednesday during one of his public debate sessions.
The prediction market, which had multiple bets with Kirk as an option, has begun to delete them from the site as fast as it can. These included bets that he’d enter the working side of politics by 2029, as well as bets on how many times South Park would feature their parody of the Turning Point founder.
Kalshi has typically not shied away from controversial bets, with its allowance of voting on the 2024 election raising concerns. However, this was effectively allowed by the courts. Since January and his father’s success, Donald Trump Jr. now sits on the board. Kalshi is currently looking to enter the sports betting market properly.
At the time of writing, even searching for Kirk’s name on Kalshi returns no results. However, the competing prediction market, Polymarket, hasn’t gone scorched-earth in the same way. As Kalshi has completely wiped Kirk’s name and any mentions from the site at the moment, Polymarket still features him in at least two wagers.
Polymarket keeps Charlie Kirk bets up, as Kalshi avoids controversy
The first, “What will Trump say at Fox & News on September 12?” lists at least five mentions of Kirk at a 74% chance, with a 77-cent bet on Yes or 30 cents for no. The other vote names an individual who is currently suspected by internet detectives.
This is entirely based on speculation that a SoundCloud artist allegedly based in Utah was involved in the shooting. As of writing, the suspect is still at large, with only a few CCTV photos released by law enforcement.
The bet currently has a volume of $719,525 and is leaning towards No, at 92 cents a bet.
ReadWrite has reached out to Polymarket for comment.
Featured image: Wikicommons, Kalshi
