Is Kalshi legal? › Maryland
Status as of September 25, 2026 · every line has its source and date · not legal advice
As of September 25, 2026, Kalshi is available in Maryland, and its sports contracts are available, according to CBS Sports (September 24, 2026). 8 state actions involving Kalshi and 2 involving Polymarket are listed below with their sources. This is a dated summary of public sources, not legal advice.
| Service | Maryland |
|---|---|
| Kalshi (CFTC-regulated exchange) | Available |
| Kalshi sports contracts | Available |
| Polymarket US (for comparison) | Unclear (sources disagree) |
| polymarket.com (international site) | No new trades for US users |
Kalshi is reported live in Maryland, including sports: a federal judge denied Kalshi's preliminary injunction (2025-08-01), but Maryland gave written assurances it would not enforce against Kalshi until the Fourth Circuit decides Kalshi's appeal (argued 2026-05-07; undecided as of 2026-09-21). The City of Baltimore sued Kalshi and Polymarket US in August 2026 (both cases moved to federal court). Polymarket US status is unclear.
| Date | Company | Event and source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-17 | Polymarket | Polymarket US moved the Baltimore lawsuit to federal court (D. Md. No. 1:26-cv-03253). City of Baltimore v. QCX LLC, No. 1:26-cv-03253 (D. Md.) docket (CourtListener) |
| 2026-08-14 | Kalshi | Kalshi moved to federal court a lawsuit that the City of Baltimore had filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court (No. C-24-CV-26-005532), which also names Coinbase, Robinhood and Webull (now D. Md. No. 1:26-cv-03217). City of Baltimore v. KalshiEX LLC, No. 1:26-cv-03217 (D. Md.) docket (CourtListener) |
| 2026-08-13 | Polymarket | The City of Baltimore sued QCX LLC (Polymarket US), Blockratize Inc. and QC Tech LLC in Baltimore City Circuit Court under the city's Consumer Protection Ordinance, alleging unlicensed sports wagering and seeking penalties and an injunction. Complaint, City of Baltimore ex rel. Ebony Thompson v. QCX LLC et al., Baltimore City Circuit Court No. C-24-CV-26-005535 (filed as Doc. 2, D. Md. No. 1:26-cv-03253) |
| 2026-05-07 | Kalshi | The Fourth Circuit heard oral argument before Judges Roger L. Gregory, Stephanie D. Thacker and DeAndrea Gist Benjamin. KalshiEX LLC v. John Martin, No. 25-1892 (4th Cir.) docket, entry 105 (CourtListener) |
| 2025-11-19 | Kalshi | The Commission told Maryland casino, sports-wagering and fantasy licensees it has determined that a sporting event contract offered on a CFTC-registered exchange (designated contract market) without a Maryland sports wagering license is 'illegal activity' that may affect their licenses. MLGCC 'Notification - Involvement in Prediction Markets - Sporting Event Contracts' (signed by Secretary John Martin) |
| 2025-08-21 | Kalshi | At both parties' request, the district court paused the case until the Fourth Circuit issues its mandate. KalshiEX LLC v. Martin, No. 1:25-cv-01283 (D. Md.) docket, entry 87 (CourtListener) |
| 2025-08-12 | Kalshi | Maryland's defendants gave Kalshi written assurances that they would not enforce the relevant Maryland laws against it until the Fourth Circuit appeal is decided, so Kalshi withdrew its motion for an injunction pending appeal (the court denied it as moot on 2025-08-14). Notice of Withdrawal of Motion for Injunction Pending Appeal, D. Md. No. 1:25-cv-01283, Doc. 83 |
| 2025-08-01 | Kalshi | Judge Adam B. Abelson denied Kalshi's motion for a preliminary injunction because Kalshi had not shown it was likely to win its argument that federal law preempts Maryland's gaming laws; Kalshi appealed the same day (4th Cir. No. 25-1892). Memorandum Opinion, KalshiEX LLC v. Martin, No. 1:25-cv-01283 (D. Md.), Doc. 70 |
| 2025-04-21 | Kalshi | Kalshi sued the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, the Commission and state officials in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (No. 1:25-cv-01283). KalshiEX LLC v. Martin, No. 1:25-cv-01283 (D. Md.) docket (CourtListener) |
| 2025-04-07 | Kalshi | The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission ordered Kalshi to immediately stop offering in Maryland its 'Will <team> win <title>?' contract and any contract based on predicting the outcome of a sporting event, and asked it to confirm compliance within 15 days. MLGCC letter to KalshiEX LLC, 'Notice to Cease and Desist' (signed by Secretary John A. Martin) |
State regulator: Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency / Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission. The Commission licenses sports wagering, issued Kalshi's 2025-04-07 cease-and-desist and the 2025-11-19 prediction-market notification, and posts its cease-and-desist letters on this page.
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:
How sure is this page? Confidence: medium. Court filings and a 2026-09-24 news roundup confirm Kalshi's status, but that status depends on a pending Fourth Circuit appeal, and Polymarket US's status in Maryland is unresolved. 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 Maryland? (Polymarket View) · Kalshi fee calculator · Kalshi taxes · Kalshi FAQ
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As of September 25, 2026, Kalshi is available in Maryland, and its sports contracts are available, according to CBS Sports (September 24, 2026). 8 state actions involving Kalshi and 2 involving Polymarket are listed below with their sources. This is a dated summary of public sources, not legal advice.
Kalshi's sports contracts are available in Maryland according to the sources on this page as of September 25, 2026. State lawsuits and court orders can change that quickly, so check the dated timeline and Kalshi's app.
Yes, federally: the CFTC designated KalshiEX LLC as a contract market on November 4, 2020. States disagree on whether their gambling laws also reach sports event contracts, and federal courts are split, so availability differs by state.