Polymarket

CNBC put a dedicated reporter on Kalshi in April 2026, who then cited its markets in 58 articles and disclosed the network's financial stake in none of at least 22 of them.

The defense on offer: the odds are a free proxy for public opinion, with no polling agency to pay.

The Wall Street Journal found the viral videos were produced as marketing, not documentation of genuine payouts. One commenter then downloaded a rival app and placed a real-money bet within five minutes of install, credit-card deposit and all, which is the part that should worry you more than the acting.