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Kalshi Hit With Nationwide Class Action Alleging Illegal Sports Betting, Market Manipulation

A recent Nevada ruling restored state enforcement power, sharpening the dispute over whether Kalshi’s sports contracts are gambling or federally regulated derivatives.

Overview

  • Seven named plaintiffs filed the proposed suit in the Southern District of New York seeking refunds of wagers, class certification nationwide, a jury trial, and potentially tripled damages.
  • The complaint says Kalshi runs unlicensed sports betting disguised as event contracts and that customers often face Kalshi’s own market-making arms or partners like Susquehanna on the other side of trades.
  • Plaintiffs allege sports markets now dominate the platform, citing roughly 90% of September volume and about $2 billion in wagers as sports bets.
  • Kalshi rejects the claims, asserting it operates legally as a federally regulated designated contract market and calling the lawsuit a misunderstanding and “meritless fiction.”
  • State actions have accelerated after a Nevada court vacated Kalshi’s earlier protection, with officials in Ohio and New Jersey invoking that decision as they seek to block the company’s sports markets.