EndGame: Analysis Shows Kalshi's Impact On Sportsbooks

The U.S. sports betting world moves quickly and unpredictably in 2026. In order to properly take stock of it all, we offer InGame’s “EndGame,” an end-of-week compilation of the top storylines, some overlooked items, and all the other news bits from this past week that we found interesting.

Putting numbers to Kalshi’s siphoning

New data from Sensor Tower puts some numbers to the sportsbook operators’ concern that prediction markets such as Kalshi are eating away at their businesses.

Per its “Kalshi Penetrates Sports Betting Market” report, the relative newcomer to sports options “has continued to amass market share at the cost of established sports betting platforms, garnering a whopping 21% MAU (monthly active users) share in QTD 1Q26, up from merely 3% in 1Q25.” During the first week of March Madness, Kalshi app downloads soared 96% week-over-week, more than twice the increase of any major sportsbook operator.

The report said that in the same period, FanDuel was down 6% in market share, theScore Bet was down 4%, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars Sportsbook were all off 2%, and Fanatics Sportsbook was down 1%.

“The increased popularity of Kalshi is likely impacting revenue (and handle) growth for sportsbook operators in the U.S., representing a major competitive threat to the industry over the next few years,” Sensor Tower concluded.

FanDuel making some cuts

FanDuel is pulling the plug on a couple of operations, according to reports from SBC Americas.

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The major sportsbook operator is shutting down FanDuel Picks, its peer-to-peer fantasy game, in 17 states, just seven months after launching it.

In a blog post, the company said it will “reallocate resources to other areas of our business where we see the greatest opportunity to serve our customers. Through this transition, we’re committed to making it easy for customers to wrap up their contests and withdraw their funds.”

The last FanDuel Picks contests will be offered on April 23, and customers will be able to access their accounts and withdraw funds until May 29.

Meanwhile, the operator is also planning to curtail its FanDuel TV studio programming related to horse racing. The Paulick Report was the first to report that the cutbacks to the linear TV network would take place in phases over the next 20 months. In-studio production and on-air hosts will be affected, but races will continue to be shown via cable, streaming platforms and wagering apps.

IGA: New officers, honoring Stevens

The Indian Gaming Association (IGA) membership elected Oneida Nation Chair Tehassi Hill vice chairman and Principal Chief Michell Hicks of North Carolina’s Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians was elected treasurer of the organization at its annual conference Wednesday. Both will serve two-year terms.

“As we face serious challenges, including illegal prediction market activity and federal overreach, we are strengthening our leadership team to protect tribal sovereignty and the future of Indian gaming,” IGA Chair David Z. Bean said via press release.

tribute-ernie-stevens-drum-drance — Courtesy of Indian Gaming Association

IGA opened with a remembrance ceremony in honor of former Chair Ernie Stevens, who passed away suddenly in September. The tribute included the “Posting of Colors” by the Native American Women Warriors Color Guard, and a Smoke Dance performance by Stevens’ grandchildren.

“My dad gave his heart and soul,” Brandon Yellowbird Stevens said. “It wasn’t about gaming. It was about sovereignty. It was about providing. He worked harder than anyone I’ve ever seen, and his message was clear. Keep moving forward.”

Jill R. Dorson

Addiction from the spouse’s viewpoint

Much has been written and expressed from the standpoint of those who have been in the throes of gambling addiction, but not so much from the viewpoint of their loved ones.

One striving to change that is Anita Odine Smith, wife of former NBA player Randy Livingston, who struggled with gambling addiction for more than 25 years. She has written a book, ASSIST: How to Help a Loved One with a Gambling Problem Without Losing Yourself, that combines her real-life experience and advice with research about addiction and its impact on family dynamics.

Smith and Livingston both serve as responsible gambling ambassadors for FanDuel. They also created a FanDuel-supported website, conversationsaboutbetting.com, a parent-focused resource hub designed to encourage informed, honest conversations about gambling and its risks. In an interview with CDC Gaming, Smith described the challenge in confronting a partner about gambling addiction.

“It’s so important when you do have the conversation, not to approach it thinking, ‘I’m going to stop this person.’ … Because really, you can’t do that. You cannot control the other person, and that’s kind of learning lesson No. 1. If you can’t come to grips with that, then my book is not useful to you. You have to understand that as a functional adult, they are making choices for themselves and no amount of coercion is going to change that.”

Odds and ends

Sportsbook operators put a lot of emphasis on March Madness, naturally, but Optimove Insights reports that they shouldn’t be counting on the big betting event to attract many new customers. Its analysis of March betting data found that 97% of depositing players were existing customers. Despite a 60% surge in betting activity during the tournament, first-time depositors represented just 3% of the depositing base. Optimove labels March Madness as a retention event rather than acquisition opportunity for sportsbooks.
DraftKings announced that customers in Delaware, New Mexico, and Rhode Island now have access to its new horse racing product, DraftKings Racing, within its sportsbook app. The additions are part of a national roll-out of the product as DraftKings transitions from DK Horse. Customers will be able to use a shared wallet.
PENN Entertainment has a new partnership with Birches Health to incorporate new responsible gambling resources within its online gaming platforms. Birches Health is a leading online behavioral health services provider that will provide RG-focused content for both theScore Bet and Hollywood Casino users. Its services include online counseling programs focused on sports betting and gambling, along with additional resources to support responsible play.
Sportico reported Tuesday that DraftKings and FanDuel prevailed in a Statute of Anne court case in Washington, D.C. The case was brought by DC Gambling Recovery, a third party, and sought to recover hundreds of millions of dollars lost by bettors, but none of the funds would have gone to bettors. The DC Council in 2025 amended the city’s law — and made it retroactive to 2019 — to exempt gambling losses from the statute.