Sara Slane Joins Kalshi as Head of Corporate Development

Date: 09.04.2025

People

Sara Slane, a big name in sports betting, is taking the reins as Head of Corporate Development at Kalshi, a federally regulated futures exchange shaking up the game with event-based prediction markets.

A Heavy Hitter Steps In

Slane’s move comes after years steering the American Gaming Association (AGA) and running her own consultancy, Slane Advisory.

Now, she’s jumping into a company that’s riding a wave of explosive growth, and dodging regulatory punches from six states. Reporting to CEO Tarek Mansour, she’ll tackle public affairs, government relations, and partnerships with sports leagues, leveraging her deep industry track.

At AGA for five years as SVP of Public Affairs, she led the charge to topple the federal sports betting ban, opening doors for states and leagues.

After that, she built Slane Advisory in 2019, advising over 30 pro teams and leagues for more than five years. She even spent seven years at MGM Resorts International, handling regional government affairs.

Sara Slane was named one of the 100 Most Influential Figures in the U.S. iGaming Industry by US iGaming Hub.

“I’m excited to announce I’m joining the team at Kalshi, as Head of Corporate Development!” she tweeted. “I’ve spent years in the sports industry, and after my many accomplishments enabled me to set up a successful solo consulting business, I thought I was done working for anyone but myself.”

Kalshi’s Prediction Play and Pushback

Kalshi’s making waves with markets letting people bet on sports outcomes, like who wins or what happens next, under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) umbrella. It’s legal nationwide, open to anyone over 18, no state licenses needed.

But that’s where the trouble starts. Six states, including Illinois, Ohio, Nevada, and New Jersey, have slapped Kalshi with cease-and-desist letters, claiming these markets are sports betting in disguise. They argue Kalshi’s dodging state rules, skipping licenses, and ducking taxes, with Mansour hinting casino lobbyists might be stirring the pot.

Nevada and New Jersey are already in legal tussles with Kalshi, which isn’t backing down. “We’re federally regulated,” Mansour’s said, brushing off state gripes.

“Kalshi is taking a bold, innovative approach to regulated prediction markets,” she said in a statement. “There is a lot of interest and excitement from sports and the gaming industry about Kalshi and I look forward to assisting in the process of coalition building, educating and driving business development at this critical time.”

She added, “I’ve seen how powerful prediction markets can be when structured, integrated, and regulated the right way. Kalshi has the potential to unlock in partnership with operators and sports leagues and teams a completely new paradigm – reshaping how consumers and institutions interact with the financial market. I’m thrilled to help lead that charge.”

Slane’s Game Plan

On LinkedIn, Slane doubled down. “In large part due to their obsession with product experience, I have never seen a company in a stage of explosive growth like Kalshi,” she wrote.

“Within a few months of launching sports, they have already managed to build a frontier product experience, with better pricing, robust risk management, and captivating live charts.”

She’s jazzed about the buzz, trading volume’s soaring, web traffic’s spiking, and brokers are lining up. “I’m joining as Head of Corporate Development to help handle some of that integration demand,” she noted.

“There’s palpable industry excitement about the benefits prediction markets can provide, and I’m thrilled to be working towards a future where all of the operators have prediction markets as part of their product.”

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