Ohio’s deadline passes and most prediction markets keep their sports contracts live
After the Sixth Circuit ruled for Ohio, the state’s casino regulator ordered ten prediction market operators to stop offering sports contracts by 16 October. Most did not. What happens next.
Most prediction market operators ignored Ohio's 16 October deadline to stop offering sports contracts in the state. The Ohio Casino Control Commission had sent cease-and-desist notices to ten operators on 2 October, a week after a federal appeals court ruled that Ohio can enforce its gambling laws against Kalshi.
How Ohio got here
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| June 2026 | The Casino Control Commission proposes a $5 million fine against Kalshi, still pending |
| 25 September 2026 | The Sixth Circuit rules that Kalshi's sports contracts are not federal "swaps", and that even if they were, federal law would not override Ohio's gambling laws |
| 2 October | The commission orders ten operators to stop offering sports event contracts in Ohio |
| 16 October | The deadline passes with most operators still live |
Governor Mike DeWine has called Kalshi's sports contracts illegal gambling. Attorney General Andy Wilson is expected to start suing operators that did not comply.
Why operators kept going
The Sixth Circuit ruling came at an early stage: it refused Kalshi a preliminary injunction and sent the case back to the district court, but it did not end the lawsuit or order anyone to stop. Operators argue that the CFTC has exclusive jurisdiction, and the CFTC itself proposed this month to write sports contracts into the federal definition of a swap (CFTC proposal).
What it means for Ohio traders
For now, sports contracts on most platforms remain available in Ohio, but that could change quickly once lawsuits are filed or a court orders geofencing, as happened in Michigan and Washington. Ohio's full status: is Kalshi legal in Ohio?. Ohio's governor race is one of the closest watched on the platforms: Ohio governor race odds.
