Is Kalshi legal? › Pennsylvania

Is Kalshi legal in Pennsylvania?

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

Status at a glance

Kalshi and Polymarket US are reported live in Pennsylvania, including sports. No enforcement action was found; the Gaming Control Board told the CFTC it considers sports event contracts to be sports wagering, and HB 2711 to regulate prediction markets was introduced on 2026-07-22.

What the status rests on

• CBS Sports reports that sports trading markets are live through Kalshi and Polymarket in Pennsylvania. Are sports prediction markets legal? Status of Kalshi and Polymarket in all 50 states (CBS Sports) (news), September 24, 2026
• CBS Sports' Pennsylvania page says Kalshi and Polymarket US both operate in the state for users 18+, with Kalshi offering NFL markets involving the Eagles and Steelers. Pennsylvania Prediction Markets: Legal Status & Where to Trade (CBS Sports) (news), September 24, 2026

What has happened in Pennsylvania

Good to know

• No Pennsylvania cease-and-desist or lawsuit against Kalshi or Polymarket was found as of 2026-09-25, and the only prediction-market item among PGCB press releases from 2026-02-04 to 2026-09-23 is the 2026-05-05 release on its CFTC comments. PGCB press releases
• A footnote in the PGCB's CFTC letter says a market letting patrons take opposite positions on a sporting event is exchange wagering under Pennsylvania law, unlawful without PGCB licensure. PGCB letter to CFTC re Prediction Markets Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, RIN 3038-AF65
• The same PGCB letter cites press reports of insider trading on Polymarket as a concern, but no Pennsylvania action aimed at Polymarket was found. PGCB letter to CFTC re Prediction Markets Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, RIN 3038-AF65
• Covers reports HB 2711 has bipartisan co-sponsors, would not prohibit sports event contracts but would bar markets on high school or minor sports and on individuals' health or death, and was referred to the House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee. PA Bill Would Regulate Prediction Markets, Allow Sports Contracts (Covers) (news)
• Yogonet reports HB 2711 contains no tax on prediction-market operators or trades. Pennsylvania bill would regulate prediction markets while allowing sports contracts (Yogonet) (news)
• A CourtListener search of Pennsylvania federal courts for Kalshi on 2026-09-25 found no case brought by the state or the PGCB. CourtListener RECAP search: Kalshi in Pennsylvania federal district courts

State regulator: Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Regulates legal sports wagering in Pennsylvania and has publicly argued that sports event contracts are sports wagering, but no PGCB enforcement action against Kalshi or Polymarket was found.

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 availability rests on CBS Sports pages from a single outlet (2026-09-24), while the state's actions are confirmed by official PGCB documents and a court filing. 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 Pennsylvania? (Polymarket View) · Kalshi fee calculator · Kalshi taxes · Kalshi FAQ

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