Kalshi unveils Parent Portal and AI selfie ID checks

Kalshi launched a Parent Portal, AI-powered selfie ID verification and Family Accounts to keep underage users from opening and operating prediction market accounts, CEO Tarek Mansour announced at the Semafor World Economy Summit.

The Parent Portal allows parents to submit their government ID to Kalshi even if they do not plan to trade, so they can check whether someone used their identity to open an account.

The selfie-verification system requires new registrants to upload a photo that an algorithm compares with the photograph on the provided ID; accounts with mismatches are flagged before approval.

Family Accounts enable relatives and friends to monitor one another’s trading activity to identify overspending or unusually large wagers. Mansour described the feature as “a tool for good, rather than a means of controlling excessive conduct.”

Company officials described the tools as closing a known loophole in which minors used parents’ identities to sign up. Kalshi manages a platform with roughly $626 million in open interest and released the features immediately while regulators review rules for prediction markets.

Critics noted the Parent Portal depends on parents taking action and that many may not be aware of the tool or check it regularly. Privacy advocates warned Family Accounts could drive away users who do not want others to see their trades. Kalshi acknowledged that added verification steps create friction during onboarding and cited industry data indicating extra steps can increase registration abandonment, particularly among 18- to 24-year-olds.

Analysts said rival platforms such as Polymarket will likely watch Kalshi’s changes and decide whether to tighten their own controls or simplify registration to attract users deterred by stricter checks.

The announcement coincides with a United Kingdom public consultation on minimum age requirements for similar markets, scheduled to conclude May 26, 2026. Kalshi noted accounts opened by younger users represent about 1% of platform accounts but roughly 13% of total trading volume.

Kalshi plans to track uptake and effectiveness of the Parent Portal, selfie verification and Family Accounts and to refine the systems as it gathers more data.