Giannis invests in prediction market Kalshi! Online users question potential conflicts of interest, but officials say he cannot trade NBA-related bets.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Investment in Prediction Market Kalshi Sparks Controversy, Platform Explicitly Prohibits Trading NBA-Related Markets to Avoid Conflicts of Interest, and Discussions on Compliance Erupt in the Community.

The NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been embroiled in trade rumors this season, recently announced on his personal Twitter that he has joined the prediction market Kalshi as a shareholder. This event of a two-time MVP investing in a prediction market has caused quite a stir on Twitter. Netizens are questioning whether there is a conflict of interest when active athletes hold stakes in prediction markets that offer betting on games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Invests in Prediction Market Kalshi

Giannis Antetokounmpo stated on Twitter: “There are plenty of opinions online, so I decided to create some of my own. Today, I joined Kalshi as a shareholder. We’re all on Kalshi now.” As of now, the post has received over 9,500 likes, nearly 3,000 replies, and over 13 million views.

Image Source: X/@Giannis_An34

Despite being caught in trade rumors this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo remains one of the most influential superstars in the league, thanks to his impressive career achievements. The Greek forward has won the Most Valuable Player award twice (2019, 2020) and also secured the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020, making him one of the few players to have both MVP and DPOY titles.

In 2021, he led the Bucks to an NBA Championship and was named Finals MVP, cementing his status as a legendary player. Throughout his career, he has been selected multiple times for All-NBA and All-Defensive teams, and he consistently participates in the All-Star Game, building an almost impeccable record on both offense and defense. However, the Bucks’ poor performance this season and ongoing trade rumors involving teams like the Heat, Timberwolves, Knicks, and Warriors have fueled speculation about potential trades involving Giannis.

Avoiding Conflicts of Interest: Giannis Cannot Trade NBA-Related Markets

In the comments section, opinions are polarized, but negative comments are more prominent. Many question the appropriateness of professional athletes engaging in betting or prediction markets, fearing conflicts of interest and insider trading. @BaoZiDaDa010 commented: “Professional athletes becoming shareholders of betting sites should be illegal. Adam Silver has ruined the NBA.”

Another user sarcastically said: “Giannis, I’m proud of you. You only earn $58 million a year running and dunking, so of course you need to make money elsewhere. Making money through betting sites is great because the money comes from ordinary people beaten by insider trading!” Some users also questioned: “Players collaborating with prediction market companies? Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”

Especially with Giannis caught in trade rumors this season, some comments criticized: “When you cooperate with Kalshi, your own trading probabilities can be bet on, which is crazy.”

Since Antetokounmpo is still an active player, Kalshi has explicitly stated that he is not allowed to participate in any NBA-related prediction market trading to avoid concerns over insider information or market manipulation.

• This article is reprinted with permission from: 《Chain News》
• Original Title: 《Giannis Antetokounmpo Invests in Prediction Market Kalshi, Netizens Question Conflicts of Interest》
• Original Author: Neo