Disgraced former congressman punished with 1st-ever lifetime ban by Kalshi

Former congressman George Santos.

The betting market Kalshi issued a lifetime ban for the first time in its existence on Monday, permanently prohibiting a disgraced former congressman from placing bets on its website. 

George Santos, the former U.S. Representative from New York, was hit with the lifetime ban over his $17,500 in winnings from bets he placed on whether he'd attend the State of Union address this year. Throughout the month of February, Santos surreptitiously placed a total of more than $17,800 in bets that he would not attend the SOTU through the website, while also posting on social media that he was planning to attend the speech. His social media statements about his plans to be in attendance drove the value of bets that he wouldn't attend higher. He never showed up at the Capitol, instead saying he was watching the speech while stuck at an airport due to bad weather.

Earlier this year Kalshi said it busted Santos, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) found that he had engaged in "manipulative activity." In July, he agreed to pay a $35,000 fine to settle the case against him. 

"Hey @Kalshi thanks for the lifetime ban from your gambling platform. Let’s see how much longer you guys are around for. 💋" a defiant Santos posted on X after learning of the ban. 

The Kalshi ban is the latest scandal Santos has been embroiled in. His fleeting time in the House of Representatives came to an end in 2023 when he was expelled over fraud and campaign finance violations, and he was later sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft the following year. PresidentTrump commuted his sentence after he served 84 days in prison, arguing the fabulist ex-congressman didn't deserve a sentence that harsh. Kalshi also slapped Santos with a $71,000 fine on Monday. Watch the video below for more.