Is Kalshi legal in your state? The 50-state tracker
Kalshi is registered federally with the CFTC and argues that lets it operate nationwide. A growing number of states disagree, and courts are split. This page tracks where each state stands — from hard court injunctions to active lawsuits to no reported action — and links to our detailed explainers as we publish them. It is updated as orders, deadlines and new suits are reported.
Snapshot (Aug 10, 2026): 7 states with a court injunction, enforced order or ban; 10 with an active lawsuit or regulator challenge; the rest with no state enforcement action reported. The federal preemption question is headed for appellate courts.
LIVE MARKETHow many Fed rate cuts in 2026?Trade on Polymarket →Where states have acted
Sports contracts blocked (3)State acted, contracts still trading (19)No action reported (28)Highlighted states link to a deep dive.
The three tiers
Barred / restricted — a court order, enforced cease-and-desist or state ban limits Kalshi's sports contracts to people located in the state.
Active challenge — a lawsuit, criminal charge or regulator action is live, but no order blocks the platform yet.
No action reported — we have found no public state enforcement action; the platform operates under its federal registration. This is not an endorsement, and it can change.
State-by-state status
| State | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Alaska | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Arizona | State blocked | 20 criminal counts filed Mar 17, 2026; arraignment enjoined by a federal court; CFTC sued the state. Kalshi available. |
| Arkansas | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| California | No action reported | No statewide court order. Ninth Circuit held Sep 16, 2026 that sports contracts entered on tribal land are likely class III gaming; Kalshi geofenced the plaintiff tribes' reservations, and a third tribe joined the N.D. Cal. case Oct 21. |
| Colorado | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Connecticut | State action | First state to act: DCP cease-and-desist orders Dec 3, 2025. CFTC sued Connecticut April 2, 2026; case pending. Kalshi still available. |
| Delaware | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. Signed the 39-state Supreme Court brief Oct 7, 2026; bound by the Third Circuit's April 2026 ruling for Kalshi. |
| Florida | No action reported | No enforcement action. Gov. DeSantis has questioned whether sports contracts cut into the Seminole Tribe’s compact exclusivity; HB 189 filed. |
| Georgia | No action reported | No enforcement action. No legal sportsbook; 2026 legalisation bill failed in the House. |
| Hawaii | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Idaho | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Illinois | Sports blocked | Sports event contracts unavailable — the Gaming Board treated them as unlicensed wagering. SB 3019 adds licensing plus the first per-contract event tax (eff. July 1, 2026). Kalshi and the CFTC have both sued. On Oct 2, 2026 Judge Pacold found the licensing rules likely preempted and on Oct 30 entered a preliminary injunction barring enforcement against CFTC-regulated sports contracts; the state appealed to the Seventh Circuit the same day. The per-contract fee is still being briefed (status report due Nov 12). |
| Indiana | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Iowa | Litigation | Kalshi's pre-enforcement suit: preliminary injunction denied Sep 8, 2026; appeal pending in the Eighth Circuit (No. 26-2874), Kalshi's brief due Nov 6. No state enforcement action; Kalshi available. |
| Kansas | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Kentucky | State lawsuit | AG Coleman sued Kalshi, Polymarket and VGW (Jun 17, 2026); a federal magistrate recommended remanding both suits to state court (Oct 14, 2026). Sixth Circuit ruled against Kalshi Sep 25, 2026. |
| Louisiana | Regulator action | Gaming Control Board says CFTC registration is no defence; no state lawsuit or court order. Kalshi filed a pre-enforcement suit against AG Murrill, Gov. Landry and the Board in W.D. La. on Oct 23, 2026 (No. 1:26-cv-04476), the first prediction market case in the Fifth Circuit. Kalshi available. |
| Maine | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Maryland | Litigation | Kalshi lost at district court. Fourth Circuit heard argument May 7, 2026; decision pending. Maryland agreed in writing to forgo enforcement until the appeal resolves, so contracts remain available. |
| Massachusetts | Injunction | Preliminary injunction; SJC appeal pending. |
| Michigan | Sports blocked | Preliminary injunction against Kalshi (Sept 1, 2026), $500,000 per day; Robinhood (Sept 9) and Coinbase (Oct 7) agreed to stop sports contracts; Sixth Circuit ruled for Ohio and Tennessee Sept 25, 2026; Kalshi sought rehearing Oct 9. AG moved to hold Kalshi in contempt over sports ads and emails (filed Sept 29, hearing Nov 24). |
| Minnesota | Ban enjoined | Full statutory ban blocked by federal injunction before Aug 1, 2026. |
| Mississippi | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Missouri | State action | AG Hanaway sent cease-and-desist letters to Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Novig, Underdog and Robinhood on Sept 16-17, 2026; 30-day window closed Oct 17. Novig and Crypto.com's OG.com exchange sued the state in federal court Oct 16; no public response from the other four; no state suit filed. |
| Montana | Sports restricted | Sports contracts reported unavailable after the April 2026 order. Kalshi's federal suit dismissed by stipulation Sep 17, 2026; Montana agreed to give 30 days' notice before enforcing, tied to the Ninth Circuit en banc ruling in the Nevada case. |
| Nebraska | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Nevada | Sports blocked | Settlement with the Gaming Control Board: third-party geofence blocking sports, election and entertainment contracts from August 12, 2026, or $120,000 per day; Board sought the penalty Aug 14 (pending). Ninth Circuit ruled for Nevada Aug 28, 2026; Kalshi sought rehearing en banc Sept 9. |
| New Hampshire | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| New Jersey | State enjoined | Kalshi available; Third Circuit affirmed injunction 2-1 on Apr 6, 2026. |
| New Mexico | Regulator action | Regulator pressure; no court order. |
| New York | State lawsuit | AG James sued Jul 31, 2026 seeking $36B; no injunction yet. Sued Polymarket US Sept 24, 2026; Kalshi's Second Circuit appeal pending. |
| North Carolina | CFTC authority in statute | SB 257, signed July 7, 2026, recognises exclusive federal CFTC authority. No licensing requirement. 6% tax on operator net trading fees from January 1, 2027. |
| North Dakota | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. On neither the 41-AG CFTC comment nor the 39-state Supreme Court brief; no online sportsbook; Eighth Circuit. |
| Ohio | Fine + C&D | $5M fine and cease-and-desist; Kalshi injunction denied (Mar 2026), affirmed by the Sixth Circuit Sept 25, 2026; C&D letters to 10 other platforms Oct 2, deadline Oct 16, 2026; deadline passed with most still trading (Plus500US said it would stop) and DeWine says suits will follow (Oct 16). Polymarket US sued the state in S.D. Ohio on Oct 16 (Commerce Clause and preemption). Oct 20: the Commission told all sports gaming and fantasy licensees to stop serving sports prediction markets and confirm by Oct 30, 2026. |
| Oklahoma | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Oregon | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Pennsylvania | No action reported | No enforcement action. PGCB told the CFTC sports contracts are sports wagering; HB 2711 would regulate rather than ban. |
| Rhode Island | State lawsuit | AG Neronha sued Kalshi and Polymarket US in Superior Court May 21, 2026; Kalshi sued the state and the CFTC intervened; the cases are consolidated in D.R.I. before Chief Judge McElroy, argued Aug 3, no ruling. No injunction; Kalshi available. |
| South Carolina | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| South Dakota | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. Signed the 41-AG CFTC comment Apr 30 and the 39-state Supreme Court brief Oct 7, 2026; Deadwood-only retail sportsbooks; Eighth Circuit. |
| Tennessee | State may enforce | C&D Jan 10, 2026; Kalshi won a preliminary injunction Feb 19. Sixth Circuit ruled for Tennessee and Ohio Sept 25, 2026, reversing the injunction. C&D to Underdog Oct 9 threatening its fantasy licence; Underdog sued the state Oct 13. |
| Texas | No action reported | No enforcement action. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick ordered a Senate interim study of prediction-market “gambling loopholes” in March 2026; no regular session until 2027. |
| Utah | State suit filed | Summary judgment for the state Aug 4, 2026; Tenth Circuit refused to block enforcement Sept 8; appeal pending. AG Brown sued Kalshi, Kalshi Trading and market maker Susquehanna in Third District Court Oct 20, 2026, seeking a geofence, disgorgement and $30.6M-$61.2M in fees. The CFTC sued Utah Oct 26; Utah filed 14 criminal counts against Kalshi and its founders Oct 28. DraftKings, FanDuel, Robinhood and Fanatics pulled event contracts from Utah by Nov 4. No shutdown ordered; Kalshi available. |
| Vermont | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. Joined the 41-AG CFTC comment Apr 30 and the 39-state Supreme Court brief Oct 7, 2026; H.913 ban bill stalled in committee. Second Circuit appeals pending. |
| Virginia | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Washington | Injunction | Injunction effective Aug 5; geofence by Aug 26, 2026. |
| West Virginia | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
| Wisconsin | State enforcing | Judge denied CFTC injunction (Jul 29); CFTC, Kalshi and the AGA appealed to the Seventh Circuit (briefing through Nov 12); Novig (Aug 14) and Underdog (Sept 8) sued the state; Ho-Chunk IGRA ruling certified for appeal Sept 11. State may enforce; Kalshi available. |
| Wyoming | No action reported | No state enforcement action reported. |
How to read this — and how we source it
Statuses reflect our current read of public court filings and reporting, not legal advice. A "no action reported" mark means we have not found a state enforcement action — not that a regulator has blessed the platform. Where a court has acted, we link our detailed explainer with the order, penalties and deadlines. Our sourcing and correction rules are in our editorial standards; if you have a primary document we've missed, email editorial@betg8.com.
The federal fight in one paragraph
Kalshi and the CFTC argue the Commodity Exchange Act gives the federal regulator exclusive authority over event contracts, preempting state gambling law. States argue gambling regulation is theirs. Courts have split, but recent rulings — including a Wisconsin judge denying the CFTC a temporary injunction — have leaned toward letting states enforce. Expect the question to reach appellate courts before it is settled.
The number
For a single citable figure with a dated history, see the BetG8 Enforcement Index (22 of 50 states acted, 7 restricting, as of October 16, 2026) and the court calendar for every deadline ahead.
Deep dives
Detailed explainers with timelines, penalties and sources: Washington, Michigan, Nevada, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Kentucky, Ohio. More states are added weekly. Texas Florida Pennsylvania Illinois Connecticut Maryland Georgia
FAQ
- Is Kalshi legal in the US?
- Federally registered with the CFTC, but restricted by court order in four states and challenged in several more.
- Which states have blocked it?
- Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada and Washington, plus Minnesota's ban and Arizona's criminal charges.
- How often is this updated?
- As orders, deadlines and lawsuits are reported, with primary-source citations.
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