Republican Candidate Suspended From Kalshi for Betting on Own Campaign

Republican congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout has been suspended from the prediction market platform Kalshi for three years and fined nearly $2,600 after placing a bet on her own campaign. The penalty was announced on August 31, 2026, for the violation of Kalshi's rules prohibiting candidates from trading on their own races.

Buckhout, a retired Army colonel, is the GOP nominee challenging incumbent Democratic Representative Don Davis in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District. According to Kalshi, Buckhout purchased less than $1,000 in contracts related to her candidacy, which is considered a form of insider trading on the platform. The company stated that Buckhout cooperated with its inquiry and agreed to the suspension and a financial penalty of $2,589.96.

In a statement, Buckhout acknowledged the error. "I bet on myself. Literally," she said. "It was a dumb mistake, and as soon as I learned there was an issue, I worked to make it right. Safe to say my career as a Kalshi trader was short-lived."

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from her political opponents. Davis, who defeated Buckhout in the 2024 election for the same seat, called the violation a "disqualifying...