Massachusetts Regulator Sonder Robinhood Over Prediction Markets Hub: Reuters

Massachusetts’ Top Securities regulator has reportedly launched a probe for Robinhood over the popular trading platform’s recent decision to launch an in-app forecast markets that allows customers to focus on the results of events, including match-ups from March Madness.

According to a Monday Report by Reuters, Massachusetts -State Secretary Bill Galvin – a notorious aggressive regulator – Robinhood sent a subpoena last week that sought information about the number of Robinhood’s users in Massachusetts who have requested to trade college -sports event contracts and seek copies of Robinhood’s related marketing material.

“This is just another gimmick from a company that is very good at gimmicks to lure investors away from sound investment,” Galvin told Reuters. Galvin’s office confirmed the investigation to Coindesk and added that Robinhood’s response to the lawsuit is expected on April 3.

Robinhood’s Prediction Market, run by Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)-regulated Kalshi, launched on March 17 with March Madness-related event contracts, as well as another linked to the upper limit of the goal-fat Foundation’s rate in May. At the time of launch, Robinhood Coindesk told that it had been in communication with CFTC “in recent weeks” until the launch.

A Robinhood spokesman reiterated that the event contracts offered through his prediction markets were “regulated by CFTC and offered through CFTC-registered units.”

“Prediction markets have become more and more relevant to both retail and institutional investors, and we are proud to be one of the first platforms to offer these products to retail customers in a secure and regulated way,” the spokesman added.

The trading platform earlier tried to launch its prediction markets HUB in February in front of the Super Bowl, but delayed the launch at the request of CFTC.

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