Kalshi might not be having its own way in Nevada. But it's getting a little more joy at Flushing Meadows.
Indeed, the operator has formed a new multi-year partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to become the first-ever prediction market partner of the US Open tournament, as well as develop an integrity framework to counteract potential manipulation efforts.
The 2026 US Open – hosted in New York City since 1978 – officially began on August 23, and represents one of the sport’s four major tournaments.
What will Kalshi receive from the US Open partnership?
Following its collaboration with the USTA, Kalshi’s name and branding will appear on screens and signage throughout the grounds of the US Open, while the operator also expects to integrate real-time market data into tournament coverage.
Kalshi also intends to provide “behing-the-scenes access” to traders, such as on-court sessions with former tennis professionals and live activations held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
"Millions of people turn to our markets to understand what's happening in the tournament as it unfolds. This partnership will deepen how fans understand tennis through the power of open markets, live price discovery and the wisdom of crowds,” Kalshi Co-Founder and CEO Tarek Mansour said.
“Alongside the USTA, we're also building a comprehensive integrity framework grounded in data-sharing, education and market surveillance. We're proud to invest in tennis, and in our city's great tradition."
The operator confirmed “expanded activations and deeper integrations” will be planned for the 2027 edition of the US Open, while Kalshi also plans to release in-house content from the tournament through its respective channels.
According to the operator, trading volume on tennis is up 25x year-over-year, motivating Kalshi to integrate new market features such as match previews, draw breakdowns, round recaps and daily highlights.
How will Kalshi work with the USTA to develop integrity standards?
As stated previously, the USTA and Kalshi jointly developed an integrity framework as part of its new collaboration, prohibiting contracts tied to umpire decisions, injuries or code violations.
Kalshi stated the restricted markets work to eliminate “any perverse incentives that could compromise the integrity of the sport,” while the operator also established a data-sharing agreement with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
With the NFL season beginning on September 9 and the college football regular season already underway, the battle between sports betting and prediction market operators will represent a straight-on collision over the next five months
The Agency serves as an independent body which “safeguards” professional tennis, with Kalshi set to provide insights into market activity so that “unusual patterns can be quickly identified and addressed.”
Kalshi will maintain a working relationship with both the USTA and ITIA to form standards which are “built specifically” for prediction markets, in favor of those adapted for other industries such as traditional sports betting.
Highlighting the integrity standards is certainly a noteworthy inclusion by Kalshi, especially given the operator has been forced to issue multiple bans and monetary penalties following accusations of insider trading.
Whether it’s the first-ever lifetime ban handed to former US congressman George Santos, the $172,000 fine issued to former White House teleprompter Gabriel Perez or the most recent three-year ban given to US House candidate Laurie Buckhout, there has been no shortage of potential betting manipulation across Kalshi’s platform.
Getting out in front of integrity monitoring concerns is a smart move by the operator after unveiling its partnership with the US Open, although Kalshi has managed to prevent insider trading claims on its sports-related event contracts up to this point.
Kalshi builds upon partnership portfolio
The inaugural US Open agreement follows recent partnerships formed by Kalshi which helped extend its presence across professional sports, as well as markets related to weather.
On August 25, Kalshi unveiled new multi-year brand partnerships with five Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres.
The new multi-year brand partnerships follow Novig’s inaugural prediction market-MLB collaboration with the New York Mets in July, as well as Polymarket’s agreement with the New York Yankees on August 7.
Following the MLB collaborations, Kalshi formed a new partnership with The Weather Company to verify outcomes on the operator’s related markets, as well as integrate real-time probability data within The Weather Channel application and website.
The Weather Company will be responsible for providing authoritative observation data used to settle Kalshi’s weather-related markets, featuring a “consistent, documented methodology” for each.
It appears Kalshi sees little reason to slow its momentum despite the recent headlines surrounding insider trading penalties, especially with the competition for betting and trading volume set to dramatically increase in the months ahead.
With the National Football League (NFL) season beginning on September 9 and the college football regular season already underway, the battle between sports betting and prediction market operators will represent a straight-on collision over the next five months.
Following allegations of insider trading efforts, Kalshi enforced its first-ever lifetime ban on former US congressman George Santos on August 31, as well as issued a fine of $71,356
