WagerMintsIs Kalshi legal in your state?
Last reviewed Nov 3, 2026
By platform
Which platform do you use?
By state
Where does each state stand?
| State | Status | Platform pages |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Federal order blocks state | Kalshi, Crypto.com |
| Arkansas | AG says it needs a license | Kalshi |
| California | Tribal suits, no state action | Kalshi, Robinhood |
| Connecticut | Orders issued, cases running | Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, Coinbase, Crypto.com, Underdog |
| Illinois | Court has blocked the state | Kalshi, Coinbase, Crypto.com |
| Iowa | Kalshi appealing a loss | Kalshi |
| Kentucky | State suing, tax coming | Kalshi, Polymarket, Coinbase |
| Louisiana | Kalshi sued the state | Kalshi |
| Maryland | Being fought in court | Kalshi, Polymarket |
| Massachusetts | State case at top court | Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, Underdog, Novig |
| Michigan | Sports contracts halted | Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, Coinbase |
| Minnesota | Felony law challenged in court | Kalshi, Polymarket |
| Missouri | Letters, then lawsuits | Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, Crypto.com, Novig |
| Montana | Letters sent, suit dropped | Kalshi |
| Nevada | Court orders in force | Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, Crypto.com |
| New Jersey | Kalshi shielded; Supreme Court petition | Kalshi, Robinhood |
| New Mexico | State and tribes suing Kalshi | Kalshi, Polymarket |
| New York | State suing several platforms | Kalshi, Polymarket, Coinbase, Crypto.com, Novig, Gemini |
| Ohio | Being fought in court | Kalshi, Polymarket, Underdog |
| Rhode Island | State sued Kalshi, Polymarket | Kalshi, Polymarket |
| Tennessee | Injunction overturned on appeal | Kalshi, Underdog |
| Utah | Kalshi criminally charged | Kalshi |
| Washington | Court order limits Kalshi | Kalshi, Robinhood |
| Wisconsin | Being fought in court | Kalshi, Polymarket, Underdog |
No state action found: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming. The federal court fight could still change the rules there.
Latest
What changed most recently?
Oct 30, 2026
Court · U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois · Coinbase Financial Markets, Inc. v. Raoul, with United States v. Illinois and KalshiEX v. Raoul (Nos. 1:25-cv-15406, 1:26-cv-03659, 1:26-cv-07363)
The court entered a preliminary injunction. It bars Illinois officials from enforcing the sports wagering act and related criminal provisions against swaps, including sports event contracts, on CFTC-regulated exchanges and brokers. That includes licensing, fees, taxes, enforcement actions and subpoenas.
Preliminary injunction, Oct. 30, 2026Oct 28, 2026
Attorney general · Utah Attorney General
Prosecutors charged Kalshi and its co-founders Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara with a second-degree felony count of pattern of unlawful activity, 12 third-degree felony counts of online gambling promotion and one misdemeanor count. Charges are allegations, not a finding of guilt.
Fox 13 report with the charging documentOct 27, 2026
Court · U.S. District Court, E.D. Missouri · KalshiEX LLC v. Hanaway (No. 4:26-cv-01860)
Kalshi sued the Missouri attorney general and gaming commission in federal court, saying federal law keeps the state from regulating its contracts.
Complaint, KalshiEX v. Hanaway, Oct. 27, 2026Oct 27, 2026
Regulator · Commodity Futures Trading Commission
The CFTC sued Utah in federal court to block the state's efforts to shut down CFTC-registered exchanges using state law.
CFTC press release 9315-26, Oct. 27, 2026Oct 23, 2026
Court · U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana · KalshiEX LLC v. Murrill (No. 1:26-cv-04476)
Kalshi filed a federal lawsuit asking for a permanent injunction and a declaration that Louisiana cannot enforce its gambling laws against its event contracts. The defendants include the attorney general, the governor, the Gaming Control Board and state police. Nothing has been decided.
CourtListener docket, KalshiEX LLC v. MurrillOct 16, 2026
Court · U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri · North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc. v. Hanaway (No. 4:26-cv-00969)
Crypto.com's exchange, doing business as OG.Com Prediction Markets, sued for declaratory and injunctive relief against the attorney general and Missouri gaming officials. As of October 21 the docket shows only appearances, summonses and a standing order.
CourtListener docket, N.A. Derivatives Exchange v. HanawayOct 16, 2026
Court · U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri · Ludlow Exchange, LLC v. Hanaway (No. 4:26-cv-01780)
Ludlow Exchange and Novig sued the attorney general and two other Missouri officials in St. Louis federal court. No ruling has been made.
CourtListener docket, Ludlow Exchange v. HanawayOct 16, 2026
Court · U.S. District Court, S.D. Ohio · QCX LLC v. Wilson (No. 2:26-cv-01502)
QCX LLC, which runs Polymarket US, sued Ohio officials in federal court in Columbus. On the same day Underdog filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in its Cleveland case.
CourtListener docket, QCX LLC v. Wilson
Federal courts
What have the federal courts and the CFTC said?
States say prediction market sports contracts are bets that their gambling laws cover, while Kalshi and the CFTC say they are swaps, a kind of derivative that only the federal Commodity Exchange Act and the CFTC regulate. The Third Circuit appeals court sided with Kalshi against New Jersey in April 2026, while the Ninth Circuit (Nevada, August 2026) and the Sixth Circuit (Ohio and Tennessee, September 2026) ruled for the states, all at the preliminary stage. The Fourth Circuit (Maryland) heard argument in May 2026 and had not ruled as of November 3. New Jersey's petition to the Supreme Court, Flaherty v. KalshiEX (No. 26-299), is waiting on Kalshi's response due December 7, 2026, and the Court has not yet said whether it will hear the case. On October 9, 2026 the CFTC proposed a rule defining event contracts as swaps.
Apr 6, 2026
Court · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit · KalshiEX LLC v. Flaherty (No. 25-1922)
By a 2-1 vote, the appeals court for New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware upheld an order that stops New Jersey from enforcing its gambling laws against Kalshi's sports contracts for now. It found Kalshi likely to win its argument that federal law overrides the state. This is a preliminary ruling, not a final judgment.
Third Circuit opinion, Apr. 6, 2026Aug 28, 2026
Court · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · KalshiEX LLC v. Assad (No. 25-7516)
A unanimous three-judge panel upheld the order that lifted Kalshi's protection against Nevada, so Nevada may enforce its gambling laws against Kalshi's sports contracts. The court held that sports contracts are not swaps under federal law. It sent Kalshi's election contracts back to the district court. This is a preliminary ruling.
Ninth Circuit opinion, Aug. 28, 2026Sep 2, 2026
Court · Supreme Court of the United States · Flaherty v. KalshiEX, LLC (No. 26-299)
New Jersey asked the Supreme Court to review the Third Circuit ruling. Kalshi's response is due December 7, 2026 after two extensions. Many states, tribes, the NFL and others have filed friend-of-the-court briefs. The Court has not decided whether to take the case.
Supreme Court docket No. 26-299Sep 16, 2026
Court · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · Blue Lake Rancheria v. Kalshi, Inc. (No. 25-7504)
In a case brought by two California tribes, the court held the tribes are likely to win their claim that Kalshi's sports contracts offered on tribal lands break the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and sent the case back to the lower court. A Lanham Act (false advertising) claim was rejected.
Ninth Circuit opinion, Sept. 16, 2026Sep 25, 2026
Court · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · KalshiEX LLC v. Schuler (Ohio) and KalshiEX LLC v. Orgel (Tennessee) (Nos. 26-3196 and 26-5235)
A unanimous panel upheld a federal judge's refusal to block Ohio's gambling laws and threw out the order that had protected Kalshi in Tennessee. It held Kalshi's sports contracts are not swaps and, even if they were, federal law does not override the states' gambling laws. The cases go back to the lower courts.
Sixth Circuit opinion, Sept. 25, 2026Oct 9, 2026
Regulator · Commodity Futures Trading Commission
The CFTC proposed a rule that would expressly define event contracts, including those on sports, politics, culture and weather, as swaps, which would place them under federal rather than state oversight. The public may comment for 30 days after Federal Register publication (91 FR 66022). It is a proposal, not a final rule. The same day the CFTC issued an interim rule excluding casino-style gambling products, such as sportsbook wagers and casino games, from the swap definition (91 FR 65969).
CFTC press release 9310-26, Oct. 9, 2026Oct 26, 2026
Court · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · KalshiEX LLC v. Martin (Maryland) (No. 25-1892)
No ruling yet. The appeal was argued May 7, 2026 and the parties were still filing supplemental authorities on Oct. 26, 2026.
CourtListener docket, Fourth Circuit No. 25-1892
Questions
Questions about legal status and tax
Is Kalshi legal in my state?
It depends on the state, and it can change quickly. Courts have split on whether states can apply gambling laws to Kalshi's sports contracts. Find your state below for the orders, suits and letters on record.
Does a state's legal fight change my taxes?
No. These cases decide whether a state can license or stop the platforms. They don't decide how your trades are taxed, and income from a platform a state calls illegal is still taxable under IRS Publication 525.
Is this legal advice?
No. This tracker reports public records as of the date shown on each page. For your own position, ask a lawyer licensed in your state.