Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has become a shareholder in Kalshi, a major prediction market with a wide array of sports trading opportunities.<\/p>\n
Antetokounmpo announced the partnership Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe internet is full of opinions. I decided it was time to make some of my own,\u201d Antetokounmpo posted on social media<\/a>. \u201cToday, I’m joining Kalshi as a shareholder.\u201d<\/p>\n Kalshi said Antetokounmpo is the first basketball star to join the company as a shareholder. The partnership includes help with live events and marketing.<\/p>\n \u201cGiannis is a legend,\u201d Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said in a release. \u201cHe\u2019s exactly the type of long-term partner we want to align our growing brand with, and we couldn\u2019t be happier he\u2019s on board.\u201d<\/p>\n Antetokounmpo was the subject of widespread rumors<\/a> ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. But the Bucks decided to keep the two-time MVP, who hasn\u2019t played since straining his right calf<\/a> on Jan. 23.<\/p>\n In the days leading up to the deadline, Kalshi had several posts on X highlighting its event contracts on Antetokounmpo’s trade market and the fluctuating odds connected to the teams believed to be in the mix for his services.<\/p>\n According to Kalshi’s release, Antetokounmpo will be forbidden from trading on markets related to the NBA. Messages were left Friday seeking further details from Kalshi and comment from the NBA.<\/p>\n \u201cI love the Kalshi markets and have been checking them often recently,\u201d Antetokounmpo said in the company’s release. \u201cI like to win. It\u2019s clear to me Kalshi is going to be a winner and I\u2019m excited to be getting involved.\u201d<\/p>\n Antetokounmpo, 31, also is part of the ownership group for baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers and Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC.<\/p>\n Prediction markets provide an opportunity to trade \u2014 or wager \u2014 on the result of future events. They rose to prominence in politics, but the array of typically yes-or-no questions includes everything from the weather to the Oscar for best picture.<\/p>\n The markets are comprised of event contracts, with the prices connected to what traders are willing to pay, which theoretically indicates the perceived probability of an event occurring. The buy-in for each contract ranges from $0 to $1 each, reflecting a 0% to 100% chance of what traders think could happen.<\/p>\n When the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro<\/a> last month, an anonymous trader on Polymarket \u2014 another prediction market \u2014 made more than $400,000 after betting that Maduro would soon be out of office, raising suspicions of potential insider trading<\/a> because of the timing of the wagers and the trader\u2019s narrow activity.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n