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Massachusetts Judge Orders Kalshi to Halt Sports Prediction Markets in First U.S. Injunction

The order tests state authority over CFTC-regulated event contracts by targeting sports markets that drive most of Kalshi’s volume.

Overview

  • Judge Christopher Barry-Smith granted a preliminary injunction permitting Massachusetts regulators to bar Kalshi’s sports-related markets, with compliance expected as soon as Friday.
  • The ruling says Kalshi’s contracts are offered in a manner that mirrors other digital gambling experiences under state law.
  • Kalshi has argued its products are federally regulated event contracts rather than state-regulated sports bets.
  • Sports markets represent over 80% of Kalshi’s activity, with roughly $26 billion in trading volume in just over a year, according to Dune data cited in the filings.
  • Legal observers say the decision could encourage similar actions in other jurisdictions, as Portugal and Hungary recently moved to ban rival platform Polymarket.