Kalshi suspended the qualification of North Carolina candidate Barkett due to his bet on his own victory

The prediction market platform Kalshi announced a three-year suspension of trading eligibility for North Carolina Republican congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout, along with a fine of $2,589.96, due to her having purchased contracts related to her own campaign. According to a settlement agreement effective August 28, Buckhout purchased contracts worth less than $1,000 related to her candidacy, violating the platform's rule 5.17(z), which prohibits trading by individuals who have "direct or indirect influence" on the outcome.

Buckhout stated in a declaration, "I did bet on myself, and it was indeed a foolish mistake. Once I realized the issue, I immediately cooperated to correct it. You could say my career as a Kalshi trader was very short." Kalshi indicated that Buckhout cooperated during the investigation and agreed to accept the penalties. Previously, Kalshi had imposed similar penalties on several politicians, including Minnesota Senator Matt Klein and former Texas congressional candidate Ezekiel Enriquez, who also bet on their own campaigns.

Buckhout is a retired Army colonel who previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy. She is challenging Democratic Congressman Don Davis, replaying the 2024 matchup, in which Davis won with 49.5% to 47.8%. The North Carolina legislature redrew the district last year to make it more favorable to Republicans, and the Cook Political Report rated the district as "leaning Republican."