Sara Slane joined Kalshi as Head of Corporate Development in April 2025. She spent years leading the fight to repeal the federal sports betting ban. Now she helps build the prediction markets industry that followed it.
Who Is Sara Slane?
Sara Slane is Head of Corporate Development at Kalshi, a federally regulated prediction market platform. She has worked in gaming and sports betting for almost 20 years. She is best known for her role at the American Gaming Association (AGA).
There, she helped lead the campaign to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018. Before Kalshi, Slane ran her own consulting firm, Slane Advisory. She holds a degree in Political Science from Ohio University.
Sara Slane’s Career Timeline
Slane’s path runs through government relations, casino operations, national gaming policy, and now prediction markets.
| Year | Milestone |
| 2007-2013 | VP of Regional Government Affairs, MGM Resorts International |
| 2014-2019 | Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, American Gaming Association |
| 2018 | Leads AGA campaign that helps overturn PASPA at the Supreme Court |
| 2019 | Founds Slane Advisory, a gaming strategy consulting firm |
| 2025 | Consults for Kalshi a few months before joining full time as Head of Corporate Development in April |
| 2026 | Named to the Gaming Intelligence Hot 50 |
Leading the Fight to Repeal PASPA
Slane’s most cited career moment is the repeal of PASPA. As SVP of Public Affairs at the AGA, she built the coalition and messaging strategy. That work pushed the case toward the Supreme Court.
The 2018 ruling gave states the power to legalize sports betting on their own. That decision created the multi-billion-dollar US online sports betting market operators like DraftKings and FanDuel now run.
She also led MGM’s “Question 7” ballot initiative in Maryland, helping clear the path for MGM National Harbor.
Why Sara Slane Joined Kalshi
Slane began consulting for Kalshi a few months before joining full time as Head of Corporate Development in April 2025.
Sara Slane has described the move as a natural next step, not a break from her past work. In interviews, Slane has called prediction markets “the next evolution” for an industry she helped shape from the outside.
Her role covers broker and partner integration, government relations, and public affairs. She also liaises with pro sports leagues on Kalshi’s behalf, work that closely mirrors what she did at the AGA.
Slane Advisory and Her Board Seats
Sara Slane founded Slane Advisory in 2019 after leaving the AGA. Through the firm, she negotiated market-access deals for major sports properties, including the NHL, NASCAR, and the PGA Tour.
She also holds outside board roles. She sits on the boards of Delaware North and Playmaker Capital, and she serves as a board observer to GeoComply.
These roles give Slane a wide view of the industry, spanning hospitality, sports data, and geolocation compliance.
Prediction Markets vs Sports Betting: The Debate Sara Slane Is In
Kalshi is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a federal agency, rather than by state gaming commissions. That single fact sits behind most of the legal fights prediction markets face today.
As of August 2026, Kalshi operates in more than 40 states. Eight states, including Nevada, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, have restricted or challenged its sports contracts. Minnesota went further, banning prediction markets outright by law starting August 1, 2026.
Federal courts are split. The Third Circuit ruled for Kalshi in April 2026, while several district courts elsewhere have sided with states. A pending Ninth Circuit case on Nevada’s ban could force a split that reaches the Supreme Court.
DraftKings co-founder Matt Kalish has publicly questioned Kalshi’s product, while Sara Slane argues prediction markets serve a different kind of user than traditional sports bettors.
| Feature | Regulated Sportsbook | Prediction Market (Kalshi) |
| Regulator | State gaming commissions | CFTC (federal) |
| Pricing model | Fixed odds set by the book | Order book, set by buyers and sellers |
| Typical user | Casual sports fan | Trader comfortable with order books |
| State-by-state access | Varies, opt-in by state | Available in 40+ states, restricted or challenged in about 8 |
The Bottom Line On Sara Slane
Sara Slane spent almost two decades helping build the modern US sports betting industry. Now she is doing similar work for prediction markets, a category that faces its own legal fights.
Her background in government affairs and coalition building gives Kalshi a seasoned voice during a period of heavy scrutiny.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sara Slane?
Sara Slane is Head of Corporate Development at Kalshi, a federally regulated prediction market platform. She spent almost 20 years in gaming and sports betting.
Her best-known role was Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the American Gaming Association. There, she led the campaign to repeal PASPA in 2018.
What did Sara Slane do at the American Gaming Association?
Slane served as SVP of Public Affairs at the AGA from 2014 to 2019. She led the campaign that helped overturn PASPA, the federal law that had blocked legal sports betting nationwide.
When did Sara Slane join Kalshi?
Slane began consulting for Kalshi a few months before joining full time in April 2025, as Head of Corporate Development.
What is Slane Advisory?
Slane Advisory is the gaming strategy consulting firm Sara Slane founded in 2019 after leaving the AGA. Through the firm, she connected sports leagues like the NHL, NASCAR, and the PGA Tour with gaming operators.
Is Kalshi legal in the US?
Kalshi operates as a federally regulated prediction market under the CFTC. Legal status still varies by state, since several states argue sports event contracts should fall under state gambling law instead. Check current rules in your state before trading.