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Is Kalshi legal in Massachusetts?

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 Massachusetts, including sports: the Superior Court's 2026-01-20 injunction against Kalshi's sports contracts was stayed by the Appeals Court in February 2026, and the Supreme Judicial Court (argued 2026-05-04) had not ruled as of 2026-09-24. Polymarket US is reported live.

What the status rests on

• CBS Sports reports sports contracts are live in Massachusetts while Kalshi awaits a Supreme Judicial Court ruling that could bar its sports markets. Are sports prediction markets legal? Status of Kalshi and Polymarket in all 50 states (news), September 24, 2026
• The official list of new Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court opinions (2026-09-10 through 2026-09-24, checked 2026-09-25) contains no decision in Commonwealth v. KalshiEX (SJC-13906). New opinions (Massachusetts Reporter of Decisions), September 24, 2026
• Holland & Knight reports the Superior Court injunction was set to take effect on 2026-03-08 but the Appeals Court stayed it and ordered expedited briefing. Prediction Markets at a Crossroads: The Continued Jurisdictional Battle Over Event Contracts (news), February 20, 2026
• Bloomberg Law reports Massachusetts Appeals Court Judge Sabita Singh on 2026-02-17 paused the injunction while Kalshi's appeal proceeds. Kalshi Wins Breathing Room on Massachusetts Ban During Appeal (news), February 18, 2026

What has happened in Massachusetts

Good to know

• The Attorney General says the legal age for online sports wagering in Massachusetts is 21 and alleges Kalshi allows users aged 18 to 21. AG Campbell Sues Online Prediction Market for Illegal and Unsafe Sports Wagering Operations
• The Superior Court case is Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. KalshiEX LLC, No. 2584CV02525 (Judge Barry-Smith), and the court said the injunction would be forward-looking and would not unwind existing contracts. Massachusetts court bars Kalshi from offering sports event contracts without state license (VitalLaw Securities Regulation Daily) (news)
• The appeal (Appeals Court No. 2026-P-244) is before the Supreme Judicial Court as No. SJC-13906, where 37 states and the District of Columbia, including Colorado, filed an amicus brief supporting Massachusetts on 2026-04-24. Brief of Amici Curiae of Nevada, Ohio, 35 Other States, and the District of Columbia Supporting Appellee, Commonwealth v. KalshiEX LLC, No. SJC-13906
• Massachusetts joined the 41-attorney-general comment letter urging the CFTC to recognize state authority over sports-related prediction markets. Attorney General Davenport Leads AGs In Urging CFTC to Recognize State Authority Over Sports-Related Prediction Markets
• No separate Massachusetts Gaming Commission enforcement action against Kalshi or Polymarket was found; the Commission chair publicly backed the Attorney General's 2025 suit. AG Campbell Sues Online Prediction Market for Illegal and Unsafe Sports Wagering Operations

State regulator: Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Licenses sports wagering in Massachusetts; the case against Kalshi is brought by the Attorney General's Office, and Commission officials were named in Polymarket's suit.

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. Current live status rests on one current news roundup plus the absence of an SJC decision on the official opinions list, while the stay itself is documented only in February 2026 news reports. 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 Massachusetts? (Polymarket View) · Kalshi fee calculator · Kalshi taxes · Kalshi FAQ

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