Prediction Markets in Pennsylvania 2026

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Quick Verdict: Available, dispute pending

Kalshi, Polymarket US, ProphetX, OG and Novig: Available, dispute pending. No Pennsylvania case was found, but the Third Circuit ruling for Kalshi of Apr 6, 2026 (preliminary stage), which covers this state, is the subject of New Jersey's pending Supreme Court petition No. 26-299. (source (opens in a new tab))

Nationally: Federal appeals courts are split on sports event contracts, all at the preliminary-injunction stage: the Third Circuit sided with Kalshi (Apr 6, 2026), the Ninth (Aug 28, 2026) and Sixth (Sep 25, 2026) sided with the states, and three Supreme Court petitions (Nos. 26-299, 26-338, 26-344) are pending; none has been granted.

Status (as of October 3, 2026): Kalshi, Polymarket US, ProphetX, OG and Novig: Available, dispute pending.
Why: No Pennsylvania case was found, but the Third Circuit ruling for Kalshi of Apr 6, 2026 (preliminary stage), which covers this state, is the subject of New Jersey's pending Supreme Court petition No. 26-299.
Welcome offers that apply to Pennsylvania residents (partner terms of Oct 1, 2026): Kalshi, Polymarket US, ProphetX, OG, Novig, Rebet.
Age: Kalshi, Polymarket US, OG and Rebet set 18 as the minimum (ProphetX: 18 or the local age of majority if higher); Novig sets 21. We recommend 21+.
Status describes whether each platform accepts Pennsylvania residents, not whether trading is legal. We do not give legal advice.

Best offer right now

Kalshi

Score 92/100

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21+ · Terms apply · Verified Sep 2

Certain limitations apply. The offer is available to new users only, subject to the terms and conditions at kalshi.com/tc/500. 18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information.

Full offer details →

Pennsylvania occupies a structurally favored position in the prediction-market legal landscape: it sits inside the Third Circuit↗ (opens in a new tab), the federal appellate court whose 2025 ruling in *Kalshi v. New Jersey* established the strongest pro-CFTC-preemption precedent in the country. That ruling — affirmed in March 2026 — binds federal district courts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and the US Virgin Islands. For PA residents this means any state-level enforcement attempt against Kalshi or other CFTC-regulated platforms would face immediate Third Circuit precedent on the way to dismissal.

Pennsylvania has one of the largest licensed mobile sports-betting markets in the country — DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, ESPN BET and Fanatics Sportsbook all hold PA Gaming Control Board licenses, generating over $8B in annual handle and roughly $400M in state tax revenue at the 36% rate. Despite that scale, AG Michelle Henry has not joined the multi-state coalition led by Massachusetts AG Andrea Joy Campbell. PA Gaming Control Board has issued no prediction-market-specific guidance through April 2026.

Why Pennsylvania Is Structurally Friendly to Prediction Markets

Three reinforcing reasons:

Binding Third Circuit↗ (opens in a new tab) precedent. Federal district courts in PA must follow *Kalshi v. NJ*. This is the strongest legal moat any state offers prediction markets.
AG Henry's analytical posture. Henry's office has not signaled hostility and has explicitly declined the multi-state coalition. Her predecessor Josh Shapiro (now governor) also took a pragmatic approach to novel federal-state regulatory questions.
PGCB's silence is meaningful. Most state gaming regulators that intend to act publish formal guidance or comment letters before filing enforcement. PGCB has done neither. This signals no imminent action.

What Pennsylvania Residents Can Trade Right Now

Geofenced by DraftKings Predictions, FanDuel Predicts, Fanatics Markets (their parent companies hold PA sportsbook licenses they need to protect).

Pennsylvania-specific market depth is strongest on Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), 76ers (NBA), Flyers (NHL), Phillies (MLB), Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), Penguins (NHL), Pirates (MLB) and Penn State / Pitt (NCAA) contracts.

Best Prediction Market Platforms for PA Residents

CFTC Designated Contract Market.

Routes through Kalshi.

Polymarket US — Strong political and macro depth. Funds in US dollars.

OG.com — Available with full sports catalog. Lower per-contract fees than Kalshi.

Novig — Peer-to-peer no-vig sports markets. Available in PA.

Chalkboard — Sports prediction markets. Available in PA.

Sleeper — Fantasy-adjacent prediction props. Available in PA.

Rebet — Available in PA.

DraftKings Predictions / FanDuel Predicts / Fanatics Markets — Not available in PA (voluntary geofencing tied to state sportsbook licenses).

Eligibility Checklist for PA Residents

18+ on CFTC-regulated platforms (PA state sportsbooks: 21+).
Government ID + SSN for KYC verification.
US bank account or debit card.

Tax Treatment for PA Residents

Federal: taxable, but the IRS↗ (opens in a new tab) hasn't issued guidance on event contracts; tax professionals argue for gambling income, capital gains or Section 1256 (60/40).
Pennsylvania state: Flat 3.07% state income tax applies to taxable gains.

Local Sports Angle: Eagles, Steelers, Phillies, Pirates, Sixers, Penguins, Penn State

Pennsylvania fans can currently trade event contracts on every major Philadelphia and Pittsburgh team — Eagles, Steelers, Sixers, 76ers (Sixers), Flyers, Penguins, Phillies, Pirates — plus Penn State and Pitt football and basketball.

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.

Sources

Status in Pennsylvania as of October 3, 2026

Platform	Status	Why (source)	Welcome offer in Pennsylvania
Kalshi	Available, dispute pending	Kalshi accepts Pennsylvania residents; no Pennsylvania case was found, but the Third Circuit ruling for Kalshi of Apr 6, 2026 (preliminary stage), which covers this state, is the subject of New Jersey's pending Supreme Court petition No. 26-299. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $25 and Get $25!
Polymarket US	Available, dispute pending	Polymarket US accepts Pennsylvania residents; no Pennsylvania case was found, but the Third Circuit ruling for Kalshi of Apr 6, 2026 (preliminary stage), which covers this state, is the subject of New Jersey's pending Supreme Court petition No. 26-299. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Deposit $10 get a $25 Trading Bonus!
ProphetX	Available, dispute pending	ProphetX accepts Pennsylvania residents; no Pennsylvania case was found, but the Third Circuit ruling for Kalshi of Apr 6, 2026 (preliminary stage), which covers this state, is the subject of New Jersey's pending Supreme Court petition No. 26-299. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $50, Earn $75!
OG (by Crypto.com)	Available, dispute pending	OG accepts Pennsylvania residents; no Pennsylvania case was found, but the Third Circuit ruling for Kalshi of Apr 6, 2026 (preliminary stage), which covers this state, is the subject of New Jersey's pending Supreme Court petition No. 26-299. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $25 Get $50 in Rewards! (New users only)
Novig	Available, dispute pending	Novig accepts Pennsylvania residents; no Pennsylvania case was found, but the Third Circuit ruling for Kalshi of Apr 6, 2026 (preliminary stage), which covers this state, is the subject of New Jersey's pending Supreme Court petition No. 26-299. (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 Pennsylvania. (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)
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

§ References & Sources

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

Frequently asked questions

Are prediction markets legal in Pennsylvania?

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 Pennsylvania case was found, but the Third Circuit ruling for Kalshi of Apr 6, 2026 (preliminary stage), which covers this state, is the subject of New Jersey's pending Supreme Court petition No. 26-299. 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 Pennsylvania?

Status as of October 3, 2026: Available, dispute pending. Kalshi accepts Pennsylvania residents; no Pennsylvania case was found, but the Third Circuit ruling for Kalshi of Apr 6, 2026 (preliminary stage), which covers this state, is the subject of New Jersey's pending Supreme Court petition No. 26-299. Kalshi's welcome offer (Trade $25 and Get $25!) applies to Pennsylvania residents. Kalshi's minimum age is 18; we recommend 21+.

Has Pennsylvania taken action against prediction markets?

Our legal timeline has no court ruling or state enforcement action on prediction markets in Pennsylvania (that is not proof none exists). The Third Circuit, which covers Pennsylvania, sided with Kalshi on April 6, 2026 (preliminary stage), and New Jersey has asked the Supreme Court to review that ruling (No. 26-299).

What could change the status in Pennsylvania?