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Kalshi Faces Multi-State Lawsuits as Prediction Markets Labeled ‘Disguised Gambling’

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Brian Armstrong's Bold Prediction: AI Agents Will Soon Dominate Global Financial

TLDR:

  • Washington state sued Kalshi on Friday, alleging its prediction market products violate state online gambling laws.
  • Nevada secured a temporary restraining order forcing Kalshi to halt sports, election, and entertainment contracts statewide.
  • Coinbase, a Kalshi partner, received a preliminary injunction and 60 days to comply with Nevada’s court order.
  • Legal experts say the federal versus state jurisdiction clash over prediction markets may reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Prediction markets platform Kalshi is facing growing legal pressure from multiple U.S. states. Washington state filed a lawsuit against the company on Friday, alleging violations of state gambling laws.

The filing came just one week after Nevada secured a temporary restraining order against Kalshi. Nevada also won a preliminary injunction against Coinbase’s prediction market offerings.

Legal experts now say this dispute could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Washington State Targets Kalshi Over Gambling Law Violations

Washington state’s attorney general filed the complaint, arguing that Kalshi operates gambling products in disguise.

According to the state, Washington maintains a tightly regulated gambling market, including a ban on online gambling. The lawsuit alleges that Kalshi bypasses these regulations through its platform.

The attorney general’s office stated that Kalshi’s app displays events and corresponding odds for consumer payouts. Officials argued this model mirrors how traditional gambling operations function.

The state press release noted that Kalshi “advertises that they allow consumers to ‘bet on anything’ by simply calling their service a ‘prediction market‘ rather than ‘gambling.’”

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The lawsuit further claimed that Kalshi’s products promoted gambling addiction and specifically targeted college students.

Kalshi responded by filing to move the case to federal court. The company said it was already litigating similar issues in other federal courts at the time.

Kalshi’s head of communications, Elisabeth Diana, addressed the attorney general’s claims directly. “If AG [Nicholas] Brown hadn’t sued us ahead of our scheduled meeting with him, he would have known better than to say we offer war markets. We don’t,” she said.

Diana added that the suit itself only named a contract about when Iran’s former Supreme Leader would leave office, not a war market.

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Nevada Courts Move Against Both Kalshi and Coinbase

Nevada’s legal actions against prediction market providers came ahead of Washington’s filing. An appeals court victory allowed Nevada to obtain a temporary restraining order against Kalshi.

Under the order, Kalshi was required to remove sports, entertainment, and election contracts from the state for at least two weeks.

A hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 3, where a state judge will decide on extending those restrictions. Trade publication Gambling Insider reported that Kalshi’s Nevada users could still access the platform after the order took effect. This raised questions about enforcement of the temporary restraining order.

Nevada also secured a preliminary injunction against Coinbase, which partners with Kalshi on prediction market offerings.

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District Judge Kristin Luis noted that Coinbase did not dispute offering event-based contracts tied to sporting events and elections. The court gave Coinbase 60 days to make technological changes to comply with the order.

Diana maintained that Kalshi’s legal standing remains firm across jurisdictions. “As other courts have recognized, Kalshi is a regulated, nationwide exchange for real-world events, and it is subject to exclusive federal jurisdiction,” she said. “We are confident in our legal arguments,” she added.

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Crypto World

Canada Eyes Ban on Crypto Political Donations

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Canada Eyes Ban on Crypto Political Donations

Canada’s federal government has proposed a total ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, citing concerns that foreign entities could exploit the technology to interfere in elections.

Known as the Strong and Free Elections Act, the bill was introduced on Thursday and proposed to amend the Canada Elections Act to prohibit political parties and third parties involved in the election process from accepting donations in crypto, money orders and prepaid cards to prevent anonymous and “hard to trace contributions.”

The bill’s sponsor, Steven MacKinnon, the leader of the government in the House of Commons, said in an X statement on Thursday that the measures are intended to block foreign interference and other threats to elections.

“With the introduction of the Strong and Free Elections Act, new investments to counter foreign threats and stronger government coordination, we are acting to ensure our elections remain free, fair and secure at all times,” he said.

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Source: Steven MacKinnon 

Canada is not alone in its concerns. The UK government also announced plans for a moratorium on crypto donations on Thursday, following an independent review and pressure from senior politicians.

First attempt at banning crypto donations failed

The current Strong and Free Elections Act had its first reading in the House of Commons on Thursday. To become law, it must progress through several readings and a committee stage in that chamber, then pass through the Senate before reaching the Governor General of Canada for royal assent.

A similar bill was proposed in 2024 by Dominic LeBlanc, then minister of public safety, but it failed to advance past the second reading in the House of Commons and ultimately died.

Crypto political donations in Canada have been permitted since 2019 and are treated similarly to property donations. 

Related: Kalshi legal woes grow with Washington state gambling suit

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However, a 2024 report by Stéphane Perrault, the chief electoral officer, recommended a ban on crypto political donations altogether on the grounds that it “poses challenges in identifying a contributor.”

Penalties could be up to twice the amount contributed

If the proposed legislation becomes law, contributions made using any of the banned payment methods must be returned, destroyed or delivered to the chief electoral officer. 

Penalties for violations could include up to twice the amount contributed, plus $25,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporate entities.

The bill also proposes expanding existing bans on realistic deepfakes that impersonate electoral candidates to mislead voters. The issue gained attention in the lead-up to the 2024 US elections, with one reported case involving a deepfake of then-President Biden urging voters not to participate.

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