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Is Kalshi legal in Arizona?

Status as of September 25, 2026 · every line has its source and date · not legal advice

Status at a glance

Kalshi is reported live in Arizona, including sports, because a federal preliminary injunction (2026-05-05, in the CFTC's case) bars Arizona from criminal or civil enforcement related to event contracts on CFTC-registered exchanges; Arizona's 20-count criminal case against Kalshi (2026-03-17) is blocked by that order, and Arizona's Ninth Circuit appeal is pending. Polymarket US status is unclear because reputable outlets conflict.

What the status rests on

• CBS Sports' state table marks Arizona 'Live*' and says Kalshi offers sports predictions in the state, but Polymarket does not. Are sports prediction markets legal? Status of Kalshi and Polymarket in all 50 states (CBS Sports) (news), September 24, 2026
• Covers lists Kalshi's legal states as all states plus DC except Nevada and Washington, which includes Arizona. Best Prediction Market Apps in 2026: Top 10 Platforms Ranked (Covers) (news), September 24, 2026
• The federal docket shows the 2026-05-05 preliminary injunction against Arizona enforcement has not been dissolved and the case remains stayed (latest entries dated 2026-09-21). KalshiEX LLC v. Johnson, D. Ariz. 2:26-cv-01715 (CourtListener docket), September 21, 2026

What has happened in Arizona

Good to know

• The injunction's text is not limited to Kalshi: it covers enforcement 'related to event contracts listed on CFTC-regulated designated contract markets'. Order, KalshiEX LLC v. Johnson (Doc. 96)
• The federal order describes the prosecution as a twenty-count criminal information filed in Arizona Superior Court; Yogonet reports it was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court and is blocked by the federal injunction. Arizona: Ninth Circuit ruling backs state authority over Kalshi sports contracts, but election dispute remains (Yogonet) (news)
• Covers lists Polymarket's legal states as all states plus DC except Nevada, which contradicts CBS Sports' statement that Polymarket does not offer sports predictions in Arizona. Best Prediction Market Apps in 2026: Top 10 Platforms Ranked (Covers) (news)
• Governor Hobbs signed an executive order in July 2026 barring executive-branch employees under her authority from using non-public information to trade on prediction markets. Hobbs bars Arizona state employees from using inside information to bet on prediction markets (KJZZ) (news)
• Tribes appear as amici ('Tribal Amici') on the federal docket; no tribal lawsuit against Kalshi or Polymarket in Arizona was found. KalshiEX LLC v. Johnson (CourtListener docket, entry 89)
• No verified Arizona enforcement action against Polymarket as of 2026-09-25; Arizona 2026 legislation was not checked. Attorney General Mayes Charges Kalshi With Illegal Gambling Operation, Election Wagering in Arizona (AZ AG)

State regulator: Arizona Department of Gaming. NOT opened: the site showed a Cloudflare bot check, which was not bypassed. The Department sent the 2025 cease-and-desist to Kalshi. The Attorney General (azag.gov, opened) brought the criminal case.

The federal picture

Kalshi has been a CFTC-designated contract market since November 4, 2020 (CFTC release 8302-20). Whether states may still apply their gambling laws to sports event contracts is being decided in the courts, and the federal appeals courts do not agree yet:

• September 25, 2026: Pending appellate decisions that could change several states' status: Sixth Circuit (Kalshi v. Ohio, No. 26-3196, and Kalshi v. Tennessee, No. 26-5235; argued 2026-07-30), Fourth Circuit (Kalshi v. Maryland, No. 25-1892; argued 2026-05-07), Second Circuit (Kalshi's New York and Connecticut appeals, Nos. 26-1835 and 26-2239, heard in tandem), Seventh Circuit (CFTC and Kalshi appeals from the Wisconsin injunction denial, No. 26-2636 et al.), Tenth Circuit (Kalshi v. Utah, No. 26-4100). No decision in any of these appeared in the court records checked for this file (CourtListener; indexes can lag PACER by a few days). CourtListener dockets cited in the Ohio, Tennessee, Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Wisconsin and Utah entries
• September 16, 2026: Ninth Circuit (Blue Lake Rancheria v. Kalshi, Inc., No. 25-7504; Murguia, McKeown, Paez; opinion by Judge McKeown) affirmed in part and reversed in part the denial of two California tribes' preliminary-injunction motion, holding the tribes likely to succeed in showing Kalshi's sports event contracts entered from tribal lands are class III gaming offered in violation of IGRA and their gaming procedures; the case was remanded for the remaining injunction factors, so no injunction had issued as of the last docket entry checked. Blue Lake Rancheria v. Kalshi, Inc., No. 25-7504 (9th Cir. Sept. 16, 2026) - published opinion (PDF)
• September 9, 2026: Kalshi petitioned for panel rehearing and rehearing en banc of the Ninth Circuit's 2026-08-28 Nevada decision (KalshiEX, LLC v. Assad, No. 25-7516); Montana's 2026-09-17 enforcement pause is tied to the outcome of that request. KalshiEX, LLC v. Assad, No. 25-7516 (9th Cir.) docket, entry 206 (CourtListener); Joint Stipulation of Dismissal, KalshiEX LLC v. Knudsen (D. Mont.), Doc. 35
• September 2, 2026: New Jersey petitioned the US Supreme Court for certiorari in Flaherty v. KalshiEX, LLC (No. 26-299, docketed 2026-09-08); Kalshi's response deadline was extended to 2026-11-09; an amicus brief was filed 2026-09-22 by the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States. Supreme Court docket No. 26-299
• August 28, 2026: Ninth Circuit (KalshiEX, LLC v. Assad, No. 25-7516; opinion by Judge R. Nelson, with Judges Bade and Lee; Lee concurring) affirmed in part the District of Nevada's order dissolving Kalshi's preliminary injunction, holding the CEA likely does not preempt Nevada gaming law as applied to Kalshi's sports event contracts (which it described as sports bets, not 'swaps'), and remanded for the district court to consider Nevada's challenges to Kalshi's election contracts. Nevada's regulator described the ruling as a 3-0 decision also covering Crypto.com and Robinhood. KalshiEX, LLC v. Assad, No. 25-7516 (9th Cir. Aug. 28, 2026) - published opinion (PDF)

How sure is this page? Confidence: medium. Court records confirm the injunction and appeals, and two outlets dated 2026-09-24 say Kalshi (including sports) is live, but Polymarket's status conflicts and a pending Ninth Circuit motion could change things soon. Researched September 25, 2026; court cases can change the status at any time, so check Kalshi's app before you trade.

Related: every state · is Polymarket legal in Arizona? (Polymarket View) · Kalshi fee calculator · Kalshi taxes · Kalshi FAQ

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