Polymarket names Rob Eskridge as head of US government relations
The former Intercontinental Exchange and New York Stock Exchange official will lead the operator’s engagement with US policymakers.
US.- Prediction market operator Polymarket has appointed Rob Eskridge as head of US government relations. The move comes as it continues to fight legal action in various states that claim its sports events contracts amount to illegal sports betting.
Eskridge was previously responsible for federal government affairs at the Intercontinental Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange and has also served as counsel to the US House Committee on Ethics and chief of staff to Congressman Al Green, a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee. He was Ohio’s associate attorney general earlier in his career.
Polymarket said: “Prediction markets sit at a unique intersection of technology, financial markets, and public policy. As the policy framework around this emerging industry continues to develop, Polymarket intends to be an active and constructive participant in that conversation.”
NFL betting
Polymarket said in a statement that it recorded 762,000 app downloads during the first week of the new NFL season, a 13,509 per cent weekly increase to account for 25 per cent of total category downloads, ahead of Kalshi, DraftKings and FanDuel.
According to Bank of America, Kalshi and Polymarket together topped $1bn in National Football League trading over the first six days of Week 1. Kalshi recorded $983.4m, according to DeFi Rate, with a a market share fell of 82 per cent.
