Prediction Markets in Idaho

Idaho's Gambling Vacuum

Idaho's gambling regime is among the most restrictive in the United States. The state constitution (Article III, Section 20) prohibits casino gambling, with limited exceptions for the state lottery (instant tickets and traditional draws only — no sports product), pari-mutuel horse racing, and Class III tribal gaming under federal IGRA compacts.

No commercial sportsbooks exist in ID. The two tribal casinos (Coeur d'Alene Casino in Worley, Shoshone-Bannock Casino in Fort Hall) operate under federal IGRA compacts that do not include single-game sports wagering. The Idaho Lottery does not offer any sports-themed product. Sports betting bills have been introduced periodically in the Idaho Legislature but have not advanced past committee.

This vacuum makes Idaho similar to Utah (constitutional prohibition on all gambling) and Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Texas, California, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina (no legal sports betting).

What Idaho Residents Can Trade in 2026

Full federal prediction market catalog is accessible to ID residents 18+:

• NFL contracts — no NFL team in ID but heavy Seattle Seahawks (Pacific Northwest) regional engagement
• NBA contracts — no NBA team in ID but Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz regional engagement
• MLB — Seattle Mariners regional engagement
• NCAA football and basketball — Boise State Broncos football drives strong ID-resident engagement on Kalshi, particularly during Mountain West Conference games and bowl season; Idaho Vandals and Idaho State Bengals also covered
• Politics — 2026 midterms (Idaho federal races, including the 2026 Senate race), 2028 presidential, congressional control
• Economic data, crypto, culture, weather — full catalog

Best Platforms for Idaho Residents

Kalshi is our top pick for Idaho, particularly for Boise State football markets where it has the deepest published liquidity for Mountain West games.

Polymarket US offers strong politics and crypto liquidity. Useful for ID residents who want to focus on non-sports markets given the state-level opposition rhetoric on sports event contracts.

Robinhood provides Kalshi-routed contracts inside the familiar Robinhood app.

DraftKings Predictions and FanDuel Predicts are interesting in ID precisely because neither company operates an Idaho sportsbook (none exists). For ID residents, these are net-new sports-betting-equivalent access points operating under federal CFTC regulation.

How ID Compares to Neighboring States

• Montana: Available, dispute pending (as of October 3, 2026)
• Nevada: Kalshi sports contracts blocked by court order; Polymarket US, ProphetX, OG and Novig not offered (as of October 3, 2026)
• Oregon: Available, dispute pending (as of October 3, 2026)
• Utah: Available, dispute pending (as of October 3, 2026)
• Washington: Kalshi sports contracts blocked by court order; Polymarket US, ProphetX, OG and Novig available, dispute pending (as of October 3, 2026)
• Wyoming: Available (as of October 3, 2026)

Tax Considerations for Idaho Residents

Idaho has a flat state income tax of 5.695% (after recent ID tax reform consolidating prior brackets). Net gains from prediction market trading are taxable at federal level plus the ID state rate. Kalshi provides a profit-and-loss statement for your trades; platforms' 1099s mainly cover interest, rewards and crypto transfers.

Because ID has no legal sportsbooks, there is no W-2G parallel reporting in-state — all sports outcome trading by ID residents is recorded in the platforms' own statements. This simplifies ID-resident tax accounting compared to states with both regimes.

What could change the status

Dates we are watching: Nevada's responses to the Robinhood and Crypto.com Supreme Court petitions are now due November 13 and 16, 2026 (both extended in October), and Kalshi's response to New Jersey's petition is due November 9, 2026 (deadlines can be extended); the earliest the Supreme Court could act on the petitions is a conference in December 2026 or January 2027 (our estimate, not a scheduled date); the Ninth Circuit has not yet decided Kalshi's request for a rehearing by the full court. We re-check this page when any of these happen and log the change above.

Best Platforms Compared

Status in Idaho as of October 3, 2026

Platform	Status	Why (source)	Welcome offer in Idaho
Kalshi	Available, dispute pending	Kalshi accepts Idaho residents; no Idaho case was found, but the Ninth Circuit, whose rulings bind its federal courts, ruled on Aug 28, 2026 (preliminary stage) that Kalshi had not shown federal law overrides state gaming law for sports contracts, and Supreme Court petitions on that ruling are pending. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $25 and Get $25!
Polymarket US	Available, dispute pending	Polymarket US accepts Idaho residents; no Idaho case was found, but the Ninth Circuit, whose rulings bind its federal courts, ruled on Aug 28, 2026 (preliminary stage) that Kalshi had not shown federal law overrides state gaming law for sports contracts, and Supreme Court petitions on that ruling are pending. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Deposit $10 get a $25 Trading Bonus!
ProphetX	Available, dispute pending	ProphetX accepts Idaho residents; no Idaho case was found, but the Ninth Circuit, whose rulings bind its federal courts, ruled on Aug 28, 2026 (preliminary stage) that Kalshi had not shown federal law overrides state gaming law for sports contracts, and Supreme Court petitions on that ruling are pending. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $50, Earn $75!
OG (by Crypto.com)	Available, dispute pending	OG accepts Idaho residents; no Idaho case was found, but the Ninth Circuit, whose rulings bind its federal courts, ruled on Aug 28, 2026 (preliminary stage) that Kalshi had not shown federal law overrides state gaming law for sports contracts, and Supreme Court petitions on that ruling are pending. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $25 Get $50 in Rewards! (New users only)
Novig	Available, dispute pending	Novig accepts Idaho residents; no Idaho case was found, but the Ninth Circuit, whose rulings bind its federal courts, ruled on Aug 28, 2026 (preliminary stage) that Kalshi had not shown federal law overrides state gaming law for sports contracts, and Supreme Court petitions on that ruling are pending. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Deposit $10 Get $50 in Trade Credits!
Rebet	Not offered	Rebet is a sweepstakes app, not a CFTC-regulated exchange; its sweepstakes rules exclude Idaho. (source)	Not valid here

What changed (newest first)

• Sep 25, 2026 (federal) — Sixth Circuit rules against Kalshi in Ohio and Tennessee appeals. Source: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (opinion, Nos. 26-3196/26-5235) (opens in a new tab)
• Sep 11, 2026 (federal) — Crypto.com asks Supreme Court to review Ninth Circuit ruling (No. 26-344). Source: Supreme Court of the United States, docket No. 26-344 (opens in a new tab)
• Sep 10, 2026 (federal) — Kalshi seeks Ninth Circuit rehearing; Robinhood petitions Supreme Court. Source: Sports Betting Dime (opens in a new tab)
• Sep 2, 2026 (federal) — New Jersey asks U.S. Supreme Court to review Kalshi preemption ruling. Source: New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (opens in a new tab)
• Aug 28, 2026 (federal) — Ninth Circuit rules for Nevada regulators in Kalshi case. Source: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (opinion, No. 25-7516) (opens in a new tab)
• Apr 6, 2026 (federal) — Third Circuit sides with Kalshi against New Jersey regulators. Source: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (opinion, No. 25-1922) (opens in a new tab)

Prediction markets in other states

• Alaska
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wyoming
• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Puerto Rico
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Washington DC
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

§ References & Sources

1. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) (opens in a new tab)— U.S. federal regulator
2. CFTC Designated Contract Markets list (opens in a new tab)— CFTC
3. 26 U.S. Code § 1256 — Section 1256 contracts marked to market (opens in a new tab)— Cornell Law / U.S. Code
4. IRS Form 6781 — Gains and Losses From Section 1256 Contracts (opens in a new tab)— Internal Revenue Service
5. National Council on Problem Gambling — 1-800-GAMBLER (opens in a new tab)— NCPG

Frequently asked questions

Are prediction markets legal in Idaho?

We don't give legal verdicts, but here is the status as of October 3, 2026: Kalshi, Polymarket US, ProphetX, OG and Novig: Available, dispute pending. No Idaho case was found, but the Ninth Circuit, whose rulings bind its federal courts, ruled on Aug 28, 2026 (preliminary stage) that Kalshi had not shown federal law overrides state gaming law for sports contracts, and Supreme Court petitions on that ruling are pending. Nationally, federal appeals courts are split on sports event contracts, all at the preliminary-injunction stage, and three Supreme Court petitions are pending; none has been granted.

Can I use Kalshi in Idaho?

Status as of October 3, 2026: Available, dispute pending. Kalshi accepts Idaho residents; no Idaho case was found, but the Ninth Circuit, whose rulings bind its federal courts, ruled on Aug 28, 2026 (preliminary stage) that Kalshi had not shown federal law overrides state gaming law for sports contracts, and Supreme Court petitions on that ruling are pending. Kalshi's welcome offer (Trade $25 and Get $25!) applies to Idaho residents. Kalshi's minimum age is 18; we recommend 21+.

Has Idaho taken action against prediction markets?

Our legal timeline has no court ruling or state enforcement action on prediction markets in Idaho (that is not proof none exists). The Ninth Circuit, which covers Idaho, ruled for Nevada on August 28, 2026 (preliminary stage), and Supreme Court petitions on that ruling are pending.

What could change the status in Idaho?

Dates we are watching: Nevada's responses to the Robinhood and Crypto.com Supreme Court petitions are now due November 13 and 16, 2026 (both extended in October), and Kalshi's response to New Jersey's petition is due November 9, 2026 (deadlines can be extended); the earliest the Supreme Court could act on the petitions is a conference in December 2026 or January 2027 (our estimate, not a scheduled date); the Ninth Circuit has not yet decided Kalshi's request for a rehearing by the full court. We re-check this page when any of these happen and log the change above.