Kalshi Demands Netflix Remove Trailer for 'Prediction Games' Documentary

Prediction market platform Kalshi sent Netflix a cease-and-desist letter on Friday, demanding the streaming service remove the trailer for its upcoming documentary, “Instadocs: The Prediction Games.” Kalshi claims the trailer is “defamatory” and contains “both fabricated documents and false and misleading statements.” The documentary, part of Netflix’s “Instadoc” series—which produces fast-turnaround films—explores the rise of prediction markets. It features interviews with Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan and Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour. However, the trailer highlights a recent Las Vegas party where attendees who have “made millions of dollars on prediction markets, probably eight figures, just over the course of the World Cup” gather to watch the World Cup final. One guest says, “I like betting on Kalshi,” while another displays an apparent $5,000 bet on their phone. Kalshi is currently banned from operating in Nevada due to a court order as of March 2026. In its letter, Kalshi points out that the bet shown on the phone is actually a screenshot of a wager made on May 16, 2025—well before the ban took effect. But the company argues Netflix “misled its millions of customers into believing this individual was able to successfully trade sport event contracts in Nevada on July 19, 2026.” Kalshi also claims it previously spoke with a Netflix employee who “agreed not to feature the receipt in the documentary when it is released” on Sunday, July 26. However, Kalshi says Netflix “inexplicably refused to remove the receipt from the trailer currently circulating on the homepage of the Netflix app,” despite evidence showing the claims were false. Netflix does not dispute that the screenshot is from a 2025 bet. A spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that none of the documentary footage was fabricated. “The footage was filmed at the Winible World Cup Watch Weekend in Las Vegas on July 17, 2026,” the spokesperson said. “The featured trader with the trade on Spain showed us a screenshot of his bet, that was made in May 2025 prior to any Nevada court order. Any specific trades or bets referenced during that weekend are between the individual and the app in which they placed the trades.”

via TechCrunch