Matthew Kalish on regulation
From Draft Kings: Blockchain, Sports & Digital Collectibles Feat. Matt Kalish (CoFounder & President) · · Blockchain Won't Save The World
“The space we play in at DraftKings is so first it's regulated because we have gambling licenses and we have like both in fantasy for real money as well as sports betting, casino licenses, etc. So we have the a very high standard around like any product we operate we would want to make sure that it's sort of compliant that regulators are approving the product. So there's a lot of sometimes rules that can come into play involved with that and education is even like a challenge a lot of the time when you're talking to say like a regulator or something. Everybody's not equally up to speed on blockchain technology and what the implications you see it in the news when people are talking about crypto. It's like not everybody has the same level of knowledge about the product, the technology. So sometimes decisions get made that don't necessarily it might not make sense but it is based on like a limited amount of information that decision makers have.”
On , Matthew Kalish, Co-Founder, President of DraftKings North America & Director at DraftKings, spoke about regulation during Draft Kings: Blockchain, Sports & Digital Collectibles Feat. Matt Kalish (CoFounder & President) on Blockchain Won't Save The World.
About Matthew Kalish
Matthew Kalish, co-founder of DraftKings, stated in a May 2026 interview that he left the company in November 2024. He has since been publicly critical of the prediction market platform Kalshi, describing its marketing as "gaslighting customers" and "lying." Kalish argued that Kalshi presents itself as a platform where casual users can compete against Wall Street, but he characterized it as a "Wall Street product" that misleads consumers about its liquidity and pricing. He also recounted a personal experience of attempting to place a $10,000 bet on Kalshi and receiving a poor price, which he said prompted his criticism. In other appearances, Kalish discussed his involvement with FaZe Clan, describing it as a "talent charity" that was losing money on housing and production. He stated that the current meta for content creators favors independence over being part of an organization. Earlier, in an August 2023 interview while still at DraftKings, Kalish discussed the company's expansion into web3 and NFTs through the DraftKings Marketplace and Reignmakers fantasy sports, noting that the company's regulated status and customer trust were advantages in that space. He also advised that it was a good time to build a business with patience and a long-term intention, given reduced competition.