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Warnings, no lawsuit

Is Kalshi legal in Montana?

Kalshi received cease-and-desist letters in March 2025 and April 2026; its federal suit was dismissed without prejudice as to the attorney general and the gambling division.

Checked Oct 27, 2026 against court dockets and official pages. Not legal advice.

Kalshi in Montana

Status
Warnings, no lawsuit
Latest step in Montana
Sep 17, 2026
State income tax
4.7% to 5.9%
Gambling losses
Only if you itemize

Legal status

Where does Kalshi stand in Montana?

As of October 27, 2026, no court order stops trading in Montana, and the state has not sued a platform. Montana's gambling regulator sent Kalshi cease-and-desist letters in March 2025 and April 2026. Kalshi sued in April 2026 and the two sides dismissed the case on September 17, 2026, leaving the state free to bring enforcement later.

Kalshi · 4 steps

What has happened with Kalshi in Montana?

Oldest first. Each links to the filing or page it comes from.
  1. Mar 26, 2025

    Regulator · Montana Department of Justice, Gambling Control Division · Cease-and-desist letter to Kalshi (Not applicable)

    The division sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter saying its event contracts are illegal gambling under Montana law and telling it to stop offering them in the state. A letter is not a court order.

    March 2025 letter (Exhibit 1 to Kalshi's complaint)
  2. Apr 6, 2026

    Regulator · Montana Department of Justice, Gambling Control Division · Cease-and-desist letter to Kalshi (Not applicable)

    The division sent a second letter saying its investigation found Kalshi's activity to be illegal gambling and threatening legal action. Kalshi says this broke a prior agreement between the sides.

    April 2026 letter (Exhibit 3 to Kalshi's complaint)
  3. Apr 12, 2026

    Court · U.S. District Court for the District of Montana · KalshiEX LLC v. Knudsen (No. 6:26-cv-00028)

    Kalshi sued the attorney general and gambling officials in federal court to block enforcement. The court paused the case on April 22 while the sides talked.

    Kalshi complaint, Apr. 12, 2026
  4. Sep 17, 2026

    Court · U.S. District Court for the District of Montana · KalshiEX LLC v. Knudsen (No. 6:26-cv-00028)

    Kalshi and Montana filed a joint dismissal: with prejudice for the five commission members and without prejudice for the attorney general and the gambling division, who keep their enforcement authority.

    Joint stipulation of dismissal, Sept. 17, 2026 (Doc. 35)

Your taxes

What does this mean for your Montana taxes?

Montana taxes gambling winnings and prediction market profits as income (4.7% to 5.9%). Gambling losses only reduce your state tax if you itemize, and only up to your winnings.

For 2025, Montana taxes single filers at 4.7% up to $21,100 and 5.9% above (joint: $42,200). Net long-term capital gains are taxed at 3.0% and 4.1%.

Montana allows gambling losses only if you itemize on your federal return. Montana has no separate gambling loss rule and requires the same deduction type as your federal return.

Federal tax applies wherever you live. The IRS hasn’t said how event contracts are taxed, so traders use one of four methods: capital gains, Section 1256, ordinary income or gambling. Kalshi taxes, explained. All Montana tax rules.

A court fight doesn’t change what you already owe. Positions you closed still count in the year they closed, so download your records now, whatever happens with access in your state.

Ask your AI

Ask your AI about Kalshi in Montana

Answer a few questions and we write the prompt for ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity or any AI. It carries the four tax methods, your state’s rule and links to the pages behind them, checked November 3, 2026. Or run your actual trades for exact figures, free.

Tax year
Up or down this year?
Open positions on December 31?
Add rough numbers (optional)

The AI can then work the methods out for your year. Round figures are enough.

Your prompt

2,465 characters

I trade prediction markets on Kalshi. I'm working on my US federal taxes for 2026. I live in Montana.

From WagerMints, checked November 3, 2026:
- Kalshi's Documents page says it does not report profits and losses to the IRS.
- Forms it may send: 1099-INT for interest, 1099-MISC for credits and rewards, 1099-B or 1099-DA for crypto transfers.
- Its Profit and Loss statement uses first in, first out, is split by year and updates on the first morning of each month.
- Reward credits only appear in the activity export, not the trades export.
- The IRS has published no guidance on how event contracts are taxed.

Four ways traders report this:
1. Capital gains: Form 8949 and Schedule D, short- or long-term by holding period. Net losses offset up to $3,000 of other income a year, and the rest carries forward.
2. Section 1256: Form 6781, 60% long-term and 40% short-term however long I held. Positions open on December 31 count as sold at that day's value. Disputed: Camuso and Mukherjee (Tax Notes Federal, June 2026) conclude it isn't available, White & Case argues for it, and the CFTC's October 2026 proposal to call event contracts swaps cuts against it, because Section 1256 excludes swaps.
3. Ordinary income: net result on Schedule 1, line 8z.
4. Gambling: winnings on Schedule 1, line 8b. Losses only on Schedule A if I itemize, only up to winnings, and only 90% of them from 2026.

Montana: Montana taxes gambling winnings and prediction market profits as income (4.7% to 5.9%). Gambling losses only reduce your state tax if you itemize, and only up to your winnings.
Legal status there: As of October 27, 2026, no court order stops trading in Montana, and the state has not sued a platform.

Read these pages:
- https://wagermints.com/kalshi-taxes
- https://wagermints.com/blog/how-kalshi-calculates-profit-and-loss
- https://wagermints.com/blog/how-to-report-kalshi-polymarket-taxes
- https://wagermints.com/state-taxes/montana
- https://wagermints.com/legal/kalshi/montana

My question: How would my year come out under each of the four methods?

How to answer:
- Say which links you opened, and never describe one you didn't open. If one fails, use the facts above and say so.
- Mark each point [linked source], [general tax rule] or [unsettled].
- Put the methods side by side in one table for my year, and state any number you assume.
- Don't pick a method for me. End with questions for a CPA or enrolled agent, then anything you need from me.

WagerMints doesn’t see or store what you type here. The prompt goes to the AI you pick, under that company’s terms. Never add your Social Security number, API keys or wallet keys. AI answers can be wrong, so check them against the linked sources and a preparer.

Questions

Questions about Kalshi in Montana

Is Kalshi legal in Montana?

Kalshi received cease-and-desist letters in March 2025 and April 2026; its federal suit was dismissed without prejudice as to the attorney general and the gambling division. This reports public records as of Oct 27, 2026, and it isn't legal advice.

Can I still trade on Kalshi in Montana?

Check the app, because platforms change what they offer by state and by contract type. This page tracks court and regulator actions, not each platform's product list.

Do I owe tax on Kalshi profit in Montana?

Yes, federal tax applies wherever you live. Montana taxes gambling winnings and prediction market profits as income (4.7% to 5.9%). Gambling losses only reduce your state tax if you itemize, and only up to your winnings.

Does the Montana legal fight change how my trades are taxed?

No. These cases decide whether Montana can license or stop the platforms. They don't decide how your trades are taxed. IRS Publication 525 says income from illegal activities must be reported too, so a state's win wouldn't remove tax on profit you already made.

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