- A Washington judge ordered Kalshi to stop offering wagers on sports, elections, politics, entertainment, culture, tech and science, and “mentions” in the state.
- Kalshi must implement an IP and residency geofence by August 19 and a multi-source solution by September 2.
- The order arrives two days after the CFTC invoked emergency powers to keep Kalshi operating.
- The court barred Kalshi from advertising covered contracts in Washington, citing “unfair and/or deceptive acts or practices.”
A King County Superior Court judge has issued a final order requiring Kalshi to shut down most of its Washington business, the state attorney general’s office said on Thursday. The court found the exchange likely violated the state’s Gambling Act and Consumer Protection Act by operating an illegal gambling operation.
The order bars Kalshi from offering wagers on sports, elections, politics, entertainment, culture, tech and science, and on “mentions.” It must have an IP address and residency-based geofence in place by August 19 and a multi-source geofencing system by September 2.
Attorney General Nick Brown said Kalshi had “gotten rich promoting wagers on sports, elections, natural disasters” and events tied to the Iran war. The court also barred Kalshi from advertising the covered contracts in Washington, ruling its marketing constituted “unfair and/or deceptive acts or practices.”
The ruling arrives two days after the CFTC invoked emergency authority to order Kalshi to keep trading. The federal regulator views event contracts as interstate derivatives beyond state gaming law, while Washington argues each bet stakes money on a contingent event, meeting the statutory definition of gambling.
The CFTC has sued nine states over the question, beginning with Illinois, Arizona and Connecticut. President Donald Trump has backed the agency, calling state officials who oppose prediction markets “SCUM.”
Thursday’s order builds on a preliminary injunction granted in July, where the judge found “substantial injury to Washington consumers” was likely without one. The Washington Court of Appeals refused Kalshi‘s request to stay it.
✅ Follow BITNEWSBOT on Telegram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X.com, and Google News for instant updates.
