Betting operators channel millions into elections as lobbying spending climbs

Sportsbook and prediction-market operators are committing substantial sums to political campaigns and lobbying, according to RG. FanDuel and DraftKings are among the operators directing more than 80 million dollars into state and congressional races through Win for America.

Campaign spending and lobbying

Win for America reported 81.65 million dollars in receipts and 80.70 million dollars in disbursements through September 30, RG reported. Those figures describe the group’s overall activity, rather than individual contributions from the named operators.

The American Gaming Association separately spent a record 2.06 million dollars on lobbying through September, according to RG. That lobbying expenditure is distinct from the election-related spending routed through Win for America.

Among prediction-market platforms, Kalshi reported 1.79 million dollars in lobbying, while Polymarket spent 270,000 dollars through outside lobbying firms, RG reported. The summary does not specify a reporting cutoff for either platform’s figure.

What it means for prediction markets

• The spending puts both state and congressional races in focus for readers tracking the sector’s political activity, but the supplied figures do not identify particular contests or candidates.
• Campaign receipts, campaign disbursements and lobbying expenses measure different activities; they should not be treated as interchangeable indicators of political influence.
• The amounts establish the scale of reported spending, not its effectiveness or the likelihood of any election or policy outcome.