Prediction Markets in Ohio

Status in Ohio as of October 19, 2026

Platform	Status	Why (source)	Welcome offer in Ohio
Kalshi	Available, dispute pending	Kalshi accepts Ohio residents; Ohio's regulator has moved to fine Kalshi $5 million and the Sixth Circuit on Sep 25, 2026 upheld the denial of Kalshi's injunction against Ohio. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $25 and Get $25!
Polymarket US	Available, dispute pending	Polymarket US accepts Ohio residents as far as we know. On Oct 2, 2026, Ohio's casino regulator told it and nine other platforms to stop offering sports event contracts in Ohio by Oct 16; as of Oct 19, 2026, we found no report that it has left. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Deposit $10 get a $25 Trading Bonus!
ProphetX	Available, dispute pending	ProphetX accepts Ohio residents as far as we know. On Oct 2, 2026, Ohio's casino regulator told it and nine other platforms to stop offering sports event contracts in Ohio by Oct 16; as of Oct 19, 2026, we found no report that it has left. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $50, Earn $75!
OG (by Crypto.com)	Not offered	OG says it operates in every state but that some contracts are not available everywhere; Crypto.com said in Dec 2025 that it does not offer sports contracts in Ohio, and the OG welcome offer excludes Ohio. (source (opens in a new tab))	Not valid here
Novig	Available, dispute pending	Novig accepts Ohio residents as far as we know. On Oct 2, 2026, Ohio's casino regulator told it and nine other platforms to stop offering sports event contracts in Ohio by Oct 16; as of Oct 19, 2026, we found no report that it has left. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Deposit $10 Get $50 in Trade Credits!
Rebet	Available, dispute pending	Rebet is a sweepstakes app, not a CFTC-regulated exchange; its sweepstakes rules include Ohio. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Get a 100% purchase match up to $100!

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)
• Jun 12, 2026 (CA) — California Attorney General joins multistate brief against Kalshi. Source: California Attorney General (opens in a new tab)
• May 12, 2026 (federal) — CFTC files brief backing Kalshi in Sixth Circuit appeal. Source: CFTC press release 9230-26 (opens in a new tab)
• Apr 14, 2026 — Ohio regulator issues notice of intent to fine Kalshi $5 million. The Ohio Casino Control Commission issued a notice of intent to impose a $5 million penalty on Kalshi for offering what it considers unlicensed sports betting in the state. Source: Sports Betting Dime (opens in a new tab)
• Mar 9, 2026 — Federal judge in Ohio denies Kalshi injunction. U.S. District Judge Sarah Morrison ruled that Kalshi's sports event contracts are not swaps under federal law and denied its request for an injunction against the Ohio Casino Control Commission. Source: NBC News (opens in a new tab)
• Dec 15, 2025 (federal) — Crypto.com says it no longer offers sports contracts in nine states. Source: Sports Betting Dime (opens in a new tab)
• Oct 7, 2025 — Kalshi sues Ohio regulators and attorney general. Kalshi filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of Ohio claiming federal law preempts Ohio gaming regulation of its event contracts. Source: California Attorney General (case summary) (opens in a new tab)
• Apr 1, 2025 — Ohio regulator sends cease-and-desist notices to Kalshi, Robinhood, Crypto.com. The Ohio Casino Control Commission announced it had ordered the three companies to stop offering sports event contracts in the state. Source: Sports Betting Dime (opens in a new tab)

Ohio's Established Sports Betting Market

To understand the OCCC's aggressive posture, one must look at Ohio's massive and highly regulated sports betting industry. The state went live with both mobile and retail sports betting on January 1, 2023, and quickly became one of the nation's largest markets. Major operators including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars are all active, having paid for licenses and agreeing to a 10% tax on revenue.

State regulators and licensed operators view Kalshi's sports markets as an unlicensed competitor attempting to circumvent these established rules. The OCCC's mandate is to protect the integrity and fairness of this licensed market, and it sees unregulated offerings as a direct threat to that mission (and to state tax revenues).

What Ohio Residents Can Trade Right Now

Ohioans using these platforms can still trade on a wide array of event contracts. The primary area of legal contention is markets based on sports outcomes. While these markets may still be visible and tradeable on a platform like Kalshi, users should be aware of the significant risk associated with them.

However, the Ohio court ruling and OCCC fine are narrowly focused on sports. Markets on other topics are not currently affected. These include:

• Political Outcomes: Contracts on election results, legislative actions, and political appointments.
• Economic Events: Markets based on inflation rates (CPI), Federal Reserve interest rate decisions, jobs reports, and other economic data.
• Climate and Weather: Contracts based on temperature, rainfall, or hurricane landfalls.

Trading in these non-sports categories does not appear to be challenged by the state of Ohio at this time.

Tax Considerations for Ohio Residents

Winnings from prediction markets are considered taxable income by the IRS↗ (opens in a new tab) and the Ohio Department of Taxation. Regardless of the legal status of the platform you use, you are required to report any net profits as "other income." Kalshi provides a profit-and-loss statement for your trades (its 1099s cover interest, rewards and crypto transfers), so keep your own records.

It is crucial to keep accurate records of your trades, including deposits, withdrawals, wins, and losses. We recommend consulting with a tax professional in Ohio to ensure you are meeting all your federal and state tax obligations.

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). We re-check this page when any of these happen and log the change above.

Best Platforms Compared

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 Ohio?

We don't give legal verdicts, but here is the status as of October 19, 2026: Kalshi, Polymarket US, ProphetX and Novig: Available, dispute pending; OG: not offered in Ohio. Ohio's regulator has moved to fine Kalshi $5 million and the Sixth Circuit on Sep 25, 2026 upheld the denial of Kalshi's injunction against Ohio. 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 Ohio?

Status as of October 19, 2026: Available, dispute pending. Kalshi accepts Ohio residents; Ohio's regulator has moved to fine Kalshi $5 million and the Sixth Circuit on Sep 25, 2026 upheld the denial of Kalshi's injunction against Ohio. Kalshi's welcome offer (Trade $25 and Get $25!) applies to Ohio residents. Kalshi's minimum age is 18; we recommend 21+.

What has Ohio done about prediction markets?

Ohio's regulator has moved to fine Kalshi $5 million and the Sixth Circuit on Sep 25, 2026 upheld the denial of Kalshi's injunction against Ohio. Most recent entries in our timeline: Apr 14, 2026: Ohio regulator issues notice of intent to fine Kalshi $5 million; Mar 9, 2026: Federal judge in Ohio denies Kalshi injunction; Oct 7, 2025: Kalshi sues Ohio regulators and attorney general. Each entry above links to its source.

What could change the status in Ohio?

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). We re-check this page when any of these happen and log the change above.