Kalshi’s highest six-month lobbying total on record
Page F2From§Eachthe early bird edition — 1 September 2026
Opioid settlement funds bankroll surveillance cameras as casinos and prediction markets lobby for debt relief
The ledger shows opioid settlement funds diverted to purchase Flock surveillance cameras, documented in advocacy reporting (11). Meanwhile, gambling industries—casinos and prediction markets—are lobbying for regulatory relief, specifically on consumer debt and addiction issues (10). The juxtaposition is precise: public settlements, nominally earmarked for remediation, instead fund surveillance while industries tied to addiction seek to reform their own liabilities. The gap is visible: opioid settlements are spent on policing, not treatment, while lobbying dollars chase consumer protections for gambling. The ask sits plainly—addiction relief for casinos, cameras for neighborhoods. This column reconciles the ledger: the funds intended for healing are spent watching, and the industries profiting from addiction ask for relief. The size of the gap is measurable in the billings and the lobbying disclosures. The question for the reader is not surprise, but allocation; hon, the money flows to surveillance, not care.
“They say the opioid money is for healing, but now it’s buying surveillance, not treatment. All the while, casinos and betting markets are lobbying for better terms on debt and addiction. You’re supposed to pay for your own crisis, but their crisis gets a bailout and more cameras on your corner.”
“Our society faces tough choices about addiction—look, investing in security is about keeping communities safe. If casinos and prediction markets push for reforms, that’s just the free market at work. Did I say bailout? No, I meant responsible oversight. Or maybe both. It’s complicated.”
The receipts
Shortly before the Grand Canyon flooded, Trump sent disaster response personnel to D.C.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.