Is Polymarket legal in the United States?

At the federal level, yes. Polymarket's US exchange, operated by QCX LLC, holds a CFTC Designated Contract Market designation, which authorizes its event contracts nationwide. The separate global Polymarket platform remains blocked for US residents. State law is a different question: several state gaming regulators argue prediction markets, especially sports event contracts, are unlicensed gambling under state law, and have sued or issued cease-and-desist orders.

Does city or county law affect Polymarket legality in the US?

No. Prediction market and derivatives regulation in the US happens at the federal level (CFTC) and state level (gaming regulators and attorneys general). No US city or county currently regulates prediction markets independently of its state, so legality does not vary within a state by city.

Which states currently restrict Polymarket or Kalshi?

As of mid-2026, a state court order specifically bars Polymarket from offering event contracts in Nevada, and Minnesota has enacted a law making prediction-market trading a felony. Several more states, including New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, and New Mexico, are in active litigation or have issued cease-and-desist orders, with outcomes still being litigated in federal court.

Why are states and the CFTC fighting over prediction markets?

The dispute is jurisdictional. Platforms argue their event contracts are CFTC-regulated derivatives under the Commodity Exchange Act and therefore beyond state reach. State gaming regulators argue that sports and election event contracts function as unlicensed betting under state gambling law. Federal courts have ruled both ways depending on the state, and the CFTC has itself sued several states to block their enforcement actions.

Is Polymarket Legal in Your US State? 2026 State-by-State Guide

Inside the US, Polymarket's legal status isn't decided city by city — no US city or county regulates prediction markets on its own. It comes down to two levels: a federal Designated Contract Market designation from the CFTC that applies nationwide, and a fast-moving, state-by-state fight over whether sports and election event contracts count as unlicensed gambling under state law. Search your city below and it'll resolve to your state's current status; scroll to browse all 50 states plus DC directly.

Map of the United States showing Polymarket and Kalshi legal status by state — Polymarket legal status varies by state — search your city or state below for the current status.

Quick answer: where things stand right now

Federal baseline: Polymarket's US exchange (operated by QCX LLC) holds a CFTC Designated Contract Market designation, authorizing event contracts in all 50 states at the federal level. The separate global Polymarket platform remains blocked for all US residents regardless of state.

Blocked at the state level: Nevada (state court order specifically barring Polymarket from event contracts) and Minnesota (state law making prediction-market trading a felony as of August 1, 2026).

Actively contested (cease-and-desist orders, lawsuits, or injunctions in progress, with outcomes still being litigated): New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, New Mexico, and Tennessee. Some of these currently favor continued access under federal court rulings; others don't. Status can flip on a single ruling.

Open, no known state action found: the remaining states and DC — federal CFTC access applies with no state-level dispute identified as of this writing.

This is genuinely one of the fastest-moving legal fights in US fintech right now — new cease-and-desist letters, lawsuits, and rulings are landing every few weeks. Treat every row below as a snapshot, not a final answer, and check current litigation before relying on it.Search for your state legality directly below, or filter by status.

AL
AlabamaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Alabama? No state cease-and-desist or lawsuit against Polymarket or Kalshi found — federal CFTC access applies.
AK
AlaskaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Alaska? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
AZ
ArizonaContested
Is Polymarket legal in Arizona? Arizona filed criminal charges against Kalshi for operating unlicensed gambling; a federal judge issued a TRO blocking that at the CFTC's request, and the CFTC has sued the state directly. Actively litigated.
AR
ArkansasOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Arkansas? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
CA
CaliforniaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in California? No known state-level cease-and-desist or lawsuit found — federal CFTC access applies.
CO
ColoradoOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Colorado? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
CT
ConnecticutContested
Is Polymarket legal in Connecticut? The Department of Consumer Protection issued cease-and-desist orders against Polymarket, Kalshi and Crypto.com in December 2025; the CFTC has since sued the state seeking to block enforcement. Unresolved.
DE
DelawareOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Delaware? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
DC
Washington, DCOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Washington, DC? No known enforcement action found — federal CFTC access applies, though DC's unique federal-district status means this is worth re-checking directly.
FL
FloridaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Florida? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
GA
GeorgiaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Georgia? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
HI
HawaiiContested
Is Polymarket legal in Hawaii? Flagged by trackers as unclear due to Hawaii's historically strict, unresolved state gambling law rather than a specific Polymarket action — worth checking current state guidance.
ID
IdahoOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Idaho? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
IL
IllinoisContested
Is Polymarket legal in Illinois? Governor Pritzker signed an order restricting state employees' use of prediction markets, and the CFTC sued Illinois in April 2026 seeking to block the state's enforcement posture. Unresolved.
IN
IndianaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Indiana? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
IA
IowaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Iowa? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
KS
KansasOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Kansas? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
KY
KentuckyContested
Is Polymarket legal in Kentucky? Flagged by trackers as unclear pending state legislative review rather than a specific enforcement action — worth checking current state guidance.
LA
LouisianaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Louisiana? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
ME
MaineOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Maine? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
MD
MarylandRestricted
Is Polymarket legal in Maryland? A court ruling has sided with state regulatory authority over prediction markets, putting Maryland among the more restrictive states pending further litigation.
MA
MassachusettsContested
Is Polymarket legal in Massachusetts? One of several states with an active preliminary-injunction dispute over event contracts; courts have generally favored continued platform access so far, but the underlying case is unresolved.
MI
MichiganOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Michigan? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
MN
MinnesotaBlocked
Is Polymarket legal in Minnesota? No — state law makes prediction-market trading a felony as of August 1, 2026, the strictest state-level treatment found anywhere in the country.
MS
MississippiOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Mississippi? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
MO
MissouriOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Missouri? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
MT
MontanaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Montana? Named in some early-2026 trackers as a state to watch, but no confirmed cease-and-desist or lawsuit specifically against Polymarket found as of this writing.
NE
NebraskaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Nebraska? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
NV
NevadaBlocked
Is Polymarket legal in Nevada? No — a state court order specifically bars Polymarket from offering event contracts as of late May 2026, and the Nevada Supreme Court declined to pause that order on July 1, 2026.
NH
New HampshireOpen
Is Polymarket legal in New Hampshire? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
NJ
New JerseyContested
Is Polymarket legal in New Jersey? Listed among the states with active disputes over event-contract access; litigation and enforcement posture are ongoing and unresolved.
NM
New MexicoContested
Is Polymarket legal in New Mexico? Polymarket preemptively sued the state's attorney general in federal court to block an enforcement action reported as imminent. Unresolved.
NY
New YorkContested
Is Polymarket legal in New York? A federal judge refused to block New York from enforcing state gambling law against prediction markets, rejecting Kalshi's preemption argument — a loss for platforms in this state specifically. Actively enforced.
NC
North CarolinaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in North Carolina? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
ND
North DakotaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in North Dakota? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
OH
OhioOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Ohio? No confirmed cease-and-desist or lawsuit specifically against Polymarket found, though Ohio has been named in broader prediction-market policy discussion — federal CFTC access currently applies.
OK
OklahomaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Oklahoma? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
OR
OregonOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Oregon? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
PA
PennsylvaniaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Pennsylvania? A Third Circuit ruling in April 2026 strengthened the federal-preemption position for platforms in this circuit — no confirmed state-specific block found.
RI
Rhode IslandContested
Is Polymarket legal in Rhode Island? The state attorney general sued both Polymarket and Kalshi. Unresolved.
SC
South CarolinaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in South Carolina? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
SD
South DakotaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in South Dakota? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
TN
TennesseeContested
Is Polymarket legal in Tennessee? The Sports Wagering Council issued cease-and-desist letters, but a federal court converted an early restraining order into a preliminary injunction blocking state enforcement, finding platforms likely to win on the merits. Currently favorable, but not final.
TX
TexasOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Texas? No state enforcement action filed as of this writing, though officials have flagged the topic for legislative review — federal CFTC access currently applies.
UT
UtahOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Utah? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
VT
VermontOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Vermont? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
VA
VirginiaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Virginia? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
WA
WashingtonContested
Is Polymarket legal in Washington? Flagged by trackers as unclear due to historical state-law uncertainty around online gambling and financial contracts, rather than a specific Polymarket action.
WV
West VirginiaOpen
Is Polymarket legal in West Virginia? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.
WI
WisconsinContested
Is Polymarket legal in Wisconsin? The CFTC sued the state in April 2026 alongside New York, seeking to block Wisconsin's asserted regulatory authority over prediction markets. Unresolved.
WY
WyomingOpen
Is Polymarket legal in Wyoming? No known state-level action — federal CFTC access applies.

No states match that search.

Frequently asked questions

Is Polymarket legal in the United States?: At the federal level, yes — Polymarket's US exchange (run by QCX LLC) holds a CFTC Designated Contract Market designation covering all 50 states. The separate global Polymarket platform is blocked for all US residents regardless of state. State law is the open question, and it varies by state as shown above.
Does city or county law affect this?: No. This is regulated federally and at the state level, not by cities or counties. Legality doesn't change block by block within a state — only across state lines.
Which states currently restrict Polymarket or Kalshi?: Nevada (court order specifically against Polymarket) and Minnesota (felony law effective August 1, 2026) are the clearest cases. New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, New Mexico, and Tennessee all have active litigation or cease-and-desist orders with outcomes still being decided.
Why are states and the CFTC fighting over this?: It's a jurisdictional dispute: platforms argue their contracts are CFTC-regulated derivatives beyond state reach, while state gaming regulators argue sports and election contracts are unlicensed betting under state law. Federal courts have ruled both ways depending on the state — New York sided with the state, Tennessee sided with the platforms — and the CFTC itself has sued several states directly.

State-level information is drawn from court filings, state regulator announcements, and legal-tracker reporting current as of late July 2026 (sources include coverage from Courthouse News, RotoWire, Lines.com, and crypto.news, among others). This is one of the fastest-moving areas of US financial regulation right now: new cease-and-desist letters, lawsuits, and rulings are landing every few weeks, several cases are on appeal, and a Supreme Court review of sports event contracts is considered plausible by market participants before the end of 2026. Treat every row as a snapshot and re-verify before relying on it. State page links above are placeholders; point them at your real per-state URLs.

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. State-level prediction market law is under active litigation and can change quickly. Do your own research and check current guidance before using any prediction market platform.