Is Kalshi legal? › Ohio

Is Kalshi legal in Ohio?

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 Ohio, including sports, although a federal judge denied Kalshi's preliminary injunction (2026-03-09) and the Casino Control Commission issued a notice of intent to fine it $5 million (2026-04-14); Kalshi's Sixth Circuit appeal was argued on 2026-07-30 and was undecided as of the last docket entry checked. Polymarket US is reported live, with no Ohio action against it found.

What the status rests on

• CBS Sports lists Ohio as 'Live*', saying prediction markets cannot advertise in the state but sports markets are live and available to trade. Are sports prediction markets legal? Status of Kalshi and Polymarket in all 50 states (CBS Sports) (news), September 24, 2026
• Kalshi's Sixth Circuit appeal (No. 26-3196, consolidated with the Tennessee appeal No. 26-5235) was argued on 2026-07-30 and shows no decision as of its latest recorded entry on 2026-09-08. KalshiEX LLC v. Matthew Schuler, No. 26-3196 (6th Cir.), docket (CourtListener), September 8, 2026
• The Commission's fine notice says Kalshi offered sports event contracts in Ohio without a state sports gaming license from about January 2025 through the date of the notice. Ohio Casino Control Commission, Notice of Intent to Impose a Penalty or Fine, Case No. 2026-SGR-001 (Exhibit 1 to Kalshi's status report, 6th Cir. No. 26-3196, Doc. 25-2), April 14, 2026

What has happened in Ohio

Good to know

• Ohio law bars sports gambling for people under 21, but the federal court noted that Kalshi only blocks users under 18, so Ohioans aged 18 to 20 can trade its sports contracts. Opinion and Order, KalshiEX, LLC v. Schuler (S.D. Ohio), Doc. 69
• On 2025-08-25 the Commission sent Ohio sports gaming licensees an advisory letter on licensee suitability, which Kalshi argued punishes companies that partner with it. Ohio defendants' Response in Opposition to Motion for Preliminary Injunction, S.D. Ohio No. 2:25-cv-01165, Doc. 31
• Google's prediction-markets ad policy allows U.S. targeting except Michigan, Nevada, New York and Ohio (iGamingToday reported that the Ohio exclusion took effect 2026-06-02). Prediction Markets (Google Ads policy help page)
• Senate Bill 430 (Sen. Bill DeMora), introduced in April 2026, would require prediction markets offering contracts on Ohio sporting events to get Commission approval, pay taxes and follow sportsbook rules; iGamingToday reported it stalled in the Senate Select Committee on Gaming. Ohio Regulator Faces Second Lawsuit as Kalshi Fights $5M Sanction (iGamingToday) (news)
• Tribal gaming associations and 22 federally recognized tribes filed an amicus brief supporting Ohio in the district court; no tribal lawsuit against Kalshi or Polymarket in Ohio was found. Opinion and Order, KalshiEX, LLC v. Schuler (S.D. Ohio), Doc. 69
• The Commission's notice says Kalshi admitted in court filings that more than 35,000 Ohio consumers use its platform. Ohio Casino Control Commission, Notice of Intent to Impose a Penalty or Fine (6th Cir. Doc. 25-2)
• No Commission action against Polymarket was found as of 2026-09-25 in the Ohio court records reviewed or in CBS Sports' state roundup, which does not list Ohio among states where Polymarket is restricted. Are sports prediction markets legal? Status of Kalshi and Polymarket in all 50 states (CBS Sports) (news)

State regulator: Ohio Casino Control Commission. Licenses and regulates sports gaming in Ohio (R.C. Chapter 3775) and sent Kalshi the cease-and-desist letter and the $5 million fine notice.

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 and regulator documents confirm the key events, but current trading availability rests on one 2026-09-24 news roundup, and both the Sixth Circuit decision and the fine proceeding are still open. 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 Ohio? (Polymarket View) · Kalshi fee calculator · Kalshi taxes · Kalshi FAQ

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