Over the course of the last eight years, the sports world has been revolutionized by the legalization of sports betting. Your everyday, casual sports fans are now glued to the screen, in hopes of his parlay hitting. Sports betting alone has completely changed sports permanently, but new developments in the betting industry have the potential to change your everyday life drastically. You are now able to bet on ANYTHING. From how much it will snow in New York one week to if President Trump will say 67 during the State of the Union, there is not a single thing that you can not put money on anymore, and there is one app leading the charge: Kalshi.
Throughout the last few months, the new betting app Kalshi has taken over the internet. It seems as if on every website, or before every YouTube video, an advertisement appears. The success of Kalshi so far has been impressive, but how has this recent Kalshi craze arisen? The main reason is the vast number of things to bet on. As stated before, people can literally bet on anything they want to. Kalshi makes things that are normally considered boring more interesting. For example, normally a college student would not turn on CNN, but if he put 20 dollars on the turnout of the US House during midterms, he will likely be interested.
Kalshi has used dangerous marketing strategies directed towards vulnerable people. For one, Kalshi’s marketing strategy is directed towards high school students. An anonymous bettor at Berkley High School shared, “The way I found out about Kalshi was an ad they had on TikTok. The ad was filled with bright colors and loud music, which made me feel like it was definitely marketed towards kids my age.” Not only are the advertisements marketed towards children, but so is the app itself. The Kalshi app is built like a video game, with features such as a chat and a leaderboard. These bright colors and fun elements can be linked to “dark patterns”. Dark patterns are subtle elements, often used in a website, that subconsciously encourage users to do something that benefits the company. The bright colors around betting odds are an example of Kalshi using dark patterns. Many people may be wondering how these high school students even access a 21+ app. This is far from the truth. When first entering the app, one would expect to need to enter loads of legal information, but it is much simpler than that. All you will be asked is if they’re 21 or not, and immediately after clicking the yes button, you’ll be in. Typically, betting sites require some form of ID to deposit money into your account, but again, all someone needs to do is say their age to gamble.
The ability for high schoolers to access gambling apps like Kalshi can cause serious damage. According to Mass.Gov, Gambling as a teen puts people at a higher risk of addiction. Gambling is a gateway to many other addictions. Teens who gamble are more likely to use illegal substances. Among all addictions, gambling is the one most likely to lead to suicide.
The flaws of the Kalshi app go deeper than the ability of high school students to access it. The variety of things to bet on on the Kalshi app can seriously alter everyday life. People’s decisions on a daily basis change when there is money on the line. For example, when election day comes around, many Americans across the country may change their vote based on who they bet on on Kalshi. Young voters could change their vote based on who has the better chance of winning on websites like Kalshi
As betting apps like Kalshi and others similar grow in popularity, it is important to bet responsibly. “My biggest piece of advice to a new Kalshi better would be to bet in moderation,” an anonymous Berkley student explained. Even if Kalshi allows users to put money on anything, playing it safe is the best bet.
