Kalshi Trading Volume Soars As Football Betting Season Kicks Off
Summary
Kalshi’s prediction-exchange trading exploded over the opening weekend of the US football season, topping $300 million in total volume with $196 million traded on Sunday alone — the platform’s busiest day since last November and its third-largest day ever. Sports contracts made up more than 95% of activity after Kalshi rolled out nationwide sports markets earlier in the year; these are federally regulated as commodities and therefore available in all 50 states.
College football produced $85.1 million on Saturday (Michigan vs Oklahoma passed $10 million on its own), while 13 NFL games on Sunday combined for $161 million, led by Ravens vs Bills at $35.6 million. The US Open men’s final (Sinner v Alcaraz) also drew significant volume ($19.6 million for the weekend), showing tennis remains popular on trading exchanges.
Key Points
- Weekend trading exceeded $300 million overall; Sunday accounted for $196 million.
- More than 95% of Kalshi’s activity was in sports contracts, now available nationwide as federally regulated markets.
- College football generated $85.1 million on Saturday; Michigan vs Oklahoma topped $10 million.
- Sunday’s 13 NFL games produced $161 million; Ravens vs Bills was the single largest game at $35.6 million.
- Kalshi added a new six-box interface, American odds and limited player props/parlays, bringing its UX closer to sportsbooks.
- Tennis (US Open finals) and golf remain disproportionately popular on prediction exchanges; Sinner–Alcaraz drew $19.6 million over the weekend.
- Kalshi launched in July 2021 under CFTC oversight; competitors (Polymarket, Underdog/Crypto.com, FanDuel/CME, DraftKings, Fanatics, PrizePicks) are gearing up to enter or expand in federally regulated event contracts.
- Despite big numbers, Kalshi’s trading volume is still a fraction of regulated sportsbook handle and secondary prop markets remain small (e.g. Anytime TD props ~ $783k).
Why should I read this?
Because it shows where the market’s heating up — Kalshi’s surge means prediction exchanges are no longer niche lab projects. If you follow sports betting, regulation or new product plays, this is the tidy snapshot you need without slogging through the full data dump.
Context and relevance
Kalshi’s weekend spike highlights two trends: (1) federally regulated prediction markets can scale fast when they add sports products available nationwide, and (2) established sportsbook operators and new entrants are rushing to build or partner on prediction-style contracts. That matters most in large, underserved states (notably California and Texas) where traditional sportsbooks face limits — prediction platforms could capture unmet demand if regulatory pathways remain favourable.
For operators, regulators and market watchers, the story signals product convergence (trading UX mirroring sportsbook displays) and intensifying competition — factors likely to shape product design, marketing and compliance choices through the season.
Source
Source: https://www.legalsportsreport.com/240961/kalshi-trading-volume-football-week-1/