Is Kalshi legal?

Is Kalshi Legal in Massachusetts? Order on Hold

By Owen Monagan ·

As of September 22, 2026, you can still trade on Kalshi in Massachusetts, sports included. A Suffolk Superior Court order against its sports contracts is on hold, not lifted: an Appeals Court justice paused it in February while Kalshi appeals. The Supreme Judicial Court heard the case on May 4 and hasn't ruled, and it has set itself no deadline.

Can I still use Kalshi in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts · as of Sep 22, 2026

A court ordered Kalshi to block markets in Massachusetts, but the order is on hold, so you can still trade there.

A court ordered sports contracts off, then paused it. You can still trade here.

What Massachusetts is asking the court to order against Kalshi

  • Get licensed, or stopGet a Massachusetts sports wagering licence, or stop offering sports contracts. Primary source
  • PenaltiesDamages and civil penalties. Primary source

A state court finding that Kalshi likely breaks state gambling law isn't a ruling on how your trades are taxed. Federal tax treatment is a question under the Internal Revenue Code, and no court or IRS guidance has settled it for event contracts. How to file a Kalshi year.

Which Kalshi markets still work in Massachusetts?

On hold: an order blocks it, but the order is paused. Not blocked: no order names it.

Sports: From the Attorney General's release. The Superior Court's Jan 20, 2026 order (No. 2584CV02525) and the Appeals Court stay weren't located.

How the Massachusetts case against Kalshi got here, ruling by ruling

A court ordered Kalshi to block markets in Massachusetts, but the order is on hold, so you can still trade there.

  1. 16 steps, Sep 12, 2025 to Sep 17, 2026
    1. · Massachusetts Attorney General / Suffolk Superior Court

      AG Andrea Campbell sued KalshiEX in Suffolk Superior Court for offering sports wagering without a Massachusetts Gaming Commission license, and asked the court to order Kalshi to stop while the case is pending.

      Primary source

      The release is dated 9/12/2025. Boston Globe and WBUR reported it on 9/15-16, so '9/15' or '9/16' dates in secondary coverage are publication dates.

    2. · U.S. District Court, D. Mass.

      Kalshi removed the AG's case to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (No. 1:25-cv-12595).

      Primary source

    3. · U.S. District Court, D. Mass.

      Judge Richard Stearns granted, as unopposed, Kalshi's motion to dissolve a state-court order that was in place when the case was removed, and ordered a joint status report within 14 days.

      Primary source

      The docket text doesn't say which state-court order was dissolved. The filing itself is behind the PACER paywall. Leave this out if it can't be explained.

    4. · U.S. District Court, D. Mass.

      The Commonwealth moved to send the case back to state court.

      Primary source

    5. · U.S. District Court, D. Mass.

      Judge Stearns granted the motion and sent the case back to Suffolk Superior Court, ruling that Kalshi's federal-law defense was not enough to keep the case in federal court.

      Primary source

      Reported 10/29 by Yogonet and SBC Americas. The order can't be appealed.

    6. · Massachusetts Gaming Commission

      The Massachusetts Gaming Commission sent letters telling every licensed sports wagering operator that offering sports-related event contracts in Massachusetts is prohibited.

      Primary source

      This was aimed at MGC licensees (sportsbooks), not at Kalshi. The MGC hasn't sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist (Ingame). Ingame puts this letter in 'September'; the MGC's own post is dated 11/13/2025.

    7. · Suffolk Superior Court

      Judge Christopher Barry-Smith granted the AG's motion for a preliminary injunction barring Kalshi from accepting sports event contracts from Massachusetts customers without an MGC license, and denied Kalshi's motion to dismiss.

      Primary source

      The ruling came first and the operative injunction terms later. CasinoBeats (1/28) quotes the judge writing that he 'intend[s] to issue' the injunction, with 30 days for Kalshi to comply (Kalshi had asked for 90). Cited as 2026 Mass. Super. LEXIS 2 (Jan. 20, 2026).

    8. · U.S. District Court, D. Mass. (reported)

      Polymarket sued Massachusetts in federal court, asking it to block the state from enforcing its gambling law against Polymarket.

      Secondary source

      Bloomberg Law's 'Polymarket Sues Massachusetts to Preempt State Shutdown' is dated 2/9/2026, and Ingame (2/18) says it was filed 'last week'. Exact filing date not confirmed. This is not a Kalshi action; drop it if the timeline is Kalshi-only.

    9. · Suffolk Superior Court

      The Superior Court put the preliminary injunction into effect with 30 days for Kalshi to comply, and denied Kalshi's request for a stay pending appeal.

      Secondary source

      Ingame gives the same account. Thirty days from 2/6 is 3/8/2026, which one secondary source calls the effective date. It never took effect, because of the 2/17 stay. Commonwealth Beacon says the injunction was issued 'in February', which fits this date as the formal order.

    10. · Massachusetts Appeals Court (single justice, No. 2026-J-0143)

      A single justice of the Appeals Court (Sabita Singh) allowed Kalshi's motion to stay the injunction pending appeal 'pending further order of this court,' said the stay suggests no view on the merits, and expedited the appeal.

      Secondary source

      Ingame says 'late Tuesday'. 2/17/2026 was a Tuesday. Bloomberg Law reported it 2/18 11:08 AM, and the MindCast tracker says 2/17. The docket (ma-appellatecourts.org/docket/2026-J-0143) was unreachable behind a bot check. The justice's name comes from Law360 and Bloomberg coverage, not the docket. changesUsers is false because the injunction had not yet taken effect and Kalshi kept operating.

    11. · Supreme Judicial Court

      The Supreme Judicial Court granted direct appellate review, taking the appeal from the Appeals Court (SJC-13906; Appeals Ct. No. 2026-P-0244).

      Secondary source

      Weak source: a tracker, not a news outlet or docket. Confirm on ma-appellatecourts.org/docket/SJC-13906. Paradigm (April) confirms the SJC 'granted direct review after an intermediate appellate court stayed the injunction.'

    12. · Supreme Judicial Court

      The CFTC filed an amicus brief in the SJC supporting Kalshi and asking the court to reverse.

      Primary source

      The brief is dated April 24, 2026. The 4/28 date in the brief is Bettors Insider's publication date.

    13. · Supreme Judicial Court

      Nevada, Ohio, 35 other states and the District of Columbia filed an amicus brief in the SJC supporting Massachusetts.

      Primary source

      The certificate of service says filed April 24, 2026. That is 37 states plus DC, which press counts as '38 AGs'. Courthouse News says '37 states'.

    14. · Supreme Judicial Court

      The SJC heard oral argument.

      Secondary source

      Commonwealth Beacon and Bloomberg agree. A video titled 'Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. KalshiEX LLC., SJC-13906' is on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQTZlzksYVM). I didn't verify that it is the court's official channel.

    15. · Suffolk Superior Court

      Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp allowed the AG to file a 71-page amended complaint adding allegations that Kalshi targets people under 21.

      Secondary source

      The date is inferred from 'a Tuesday filing' in stories published 6/30 and 7/1. 6/30/2026 was a Tuesday. Treat it as approximate until the docket confirms it.

    16. · Supreme Judicial Court

      The SJC entered an order waiving its usual 130-day deadline for deciding the case after argument.

      Secondary source

      9/17 is the date of the post reporting the order. The order may have been entered that day or a day earlier. 130 days from 5/4 is 9/11. As of 9/23 I found no SJC decision, and the stay remains in place.

Why did a Massachusetts court order Kalshi's sports contracts off?

Attorney General Andrea Campbell sued Kalshi in Suffolk Superior Court on September 12, 2025, for offering sports wagering without a license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, and asked the court to stop it while the case went on (AG release). "If Kalshi wants to be in the sports gaming business in Massachusetts, they must obtain a license and follow our laws," she said. Kalshi moved the case to federal court, and Judge Richard Stearns sent it back on October 28, ruling that its federal-law defense wasn't enough to keep it there (docket).

On January 20, 2026, Judge Christopher Barry-Smith granted the Attorney General's motion for a preliminary injunction barring Kalshi from accepting sports event contracts from Massachusetts customers without a Gaming Commission license, and denied Kalshi's motion to dismiss. That account is from the Attorney General's release; we haven't located the order itself. On February 6 the court gave Kalshi 30 days to comply and refused to pause the order (Law360).

The federal question sits underneath. The CFTC filed a brief in the Supreme Judicial Court supporting Kalshi, and 37 states and the District of Columbia filed one supporting Massachusetts, both on April 24. Federal appeals courts elsewhere have split on the same preemption question: Kalshi at the Supreme Court follows the petitions, and is Kalshi gambling? sets out both sides. None of it decides how your trades are taxed.

Why can I still trade sports on Kalshi in Massachusetts?

Because the order never took effect. On February 17, before the 30 days ran out, a single justice of the Appeals Court, Sabita Singh, allowed Kalshi's motion to stay the injunction while it appeals, "pending further order of this court." The stay order said it suggested no view on the merits, and it sped up the appeal (InGame, quoting the docket entry; Bloomberg Law). We haven't located the stay order itself.

On hold is not the same as lifted. The injunction still exists, and if the Supreme Judicial Court rules for the state, the block can take effect.

When will the SJC rule on Kalshi?

There is no date. The Supreme Judicial Court took the appeal and heard argument on May 4, 2026 (Courthouse News). Its usual practice is to decide within 130 days of argument, which would have been September 11. On or just before September 17 it entered an order waiving that deadline (Gambling Insider). As of September 22, it hasn't ruled.

The case doesn't decide how Kalshi trades are taxed. Trades you make, sports included, still belong on your federal return: how to file Kalshi taxes.

Every other state's status, from the same data: is Kalshi legal in my state?

Kalshi, state by state · as of Sep 22, 2026

Tap a state to see what’s switched off there, what happens to your money, and the order behind it.

  • Switched off · 3
  • Ordered, on hold · 1
  • Being fought · 15
  • No action found · 32
  • Some categories off

MassachusettsOrdered, on hold

A court ordered sports contracts off, then paused it. You can still trade here.

Suffolk Superior Court granted Massachusetts a preliminary injunction on January 20. An Appeals Court justice stayed it in February pending appeal. The Supreme Judicial Court heard the case on May 4, hasn't ruled, and has waived its usual 130-day deadline for deciding.

What’s next: When the Supreme Judicial Court rules. There is no deadline. If the state wins, the block can take effect.

Primary source: Massachusetts Attorney General, Jan 20, 2026Secondary source: Bloomberg Law: stay pending appealSecondary source: Gambling Insider: SJC waives its decision deadline

Every Kalshi ruling in Massachusetts, in order →

Kalshi status by state, as of Sep 22, 2026
StateStatusWhat it meansSince
MichiganSwitched off (1 of 12 categories off)Sports contracts are switched off. The order names no other category.Jun 29, 2026
NevadaSwitched off (3 of 12 categories off)Sports, election and entertainment contracts are switched off.Mar 20, 2026
WashingtonSwitched off (7 of 12 categories off)Seven of Kalshi's twelve categories are switched off, sports and elections among them. The order lets finance, economics, climate and commodities keep trading, and doesn't say whether crypto is covered.Sep 2, 2026
MassachusettsOrdered, on holdA court ordered sports contracts off, then paused it. You can still trade here.
ArizonaBeing foughtArizona's criminal case against Kalshi is blocked for now. Nothing is switched off.
ConnecticutBeing foughtConnecticut has sued. Nothing is switched off yet.
IllinoisBeing foughtIn court. Nothing is switched off yet.
IowaBeing foughtKalshi lost a bid to stop Iowa. Nothing is switched off yet.
KentuckyBeing foughtKentucky has sued. Nothing is switched off yet.
MarylandBeing foughtIn court. Nothing is switched off yet.
MinnesotaBeing foughtA state ban was passed, then paused by a federal court.
MissouriBeing foughtA cease-and-desist was sent in September. Nothing is switched off yet.
MontanaBeing foughtA cease-and-desist is on hold. Nothing is switched off.
New JerseyBeing foughtKalshi won here. New Jersey has asked the Supreme Court to step in.
New YorkBeing foughtNew York has sued. Nothing is switched off yet.
OhioBeing foughtKalshi lost its bid to stop Ohio. Nothing is switched off yet.
TennesseeBeing foughtKalshi won the first round. Nothing is switched off.
UtahBeing foughtA federal court ruled for Utah. Nothing is switched off yet.
WisconsinBeing foughtWisconsin has sued. Nothing is switched off yet.
Every other stateNo action foundAlabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming

Kalshi event contracts, state by state. What a court or regulator has actually done, as it stands on the date above. Not legal advice.

Sources for Kalshi in Massachusetts

  1. Primary source D. Mass. docket, ECF 1. Cited 4×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  2. Primary source MGC blog, 11/13/2025. Cited 1×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  3. Primary source CFTC amicus brief. Our copy. Cited 1×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  4. Primary source Multistate amicus brief (hosted by NY AG). Our copy. Cited 1×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  5. Primary source AG Campbell sues online prediction market for illegal and unsafe sports wagering operations, Massachusetts Attorney General, Sep 12, 2025. Cited 3×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  6. Primary source AG Campbell secures court order that will block Kalshi from offering unlawful sports wagers in Massachusetts, Massachusetts Attorney General, Jan 20, 2026. Cited 14×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  7. Secondary source Bloomberg Law: stay pending appeal. Cited 2×.
  8. Secondary source Law360, 2/6/2026 (secondary). Cited 1×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  9. Secondary source Ingame (quotes the docket entry) (secondary). Cited 1×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  10. Secondary source MindCast litigation map (secondary). Cited 1×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  11. Secondary source Courthouse News, 5/4/2026 (secondary). Cited 1×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  12. Secondary source Cointelegraph via TradingView (secondary). Cited 1×, checked Sep 23, 2026.
  13. Secondary source Gambling Insider: SJC waives its decision deadline. Cited 2×.

Questions people ask

Is Kalshi legal in Massachusetts?

Kalshi is still available in Massachusetts, sports included. A Suffolk Superior Court judge granted the state a preliminary injunction against Kalshi's sports contracts on January 20, 2026, but an Appeals Court justice paused it in February while Kalshi appeals. As of September 22, 2026 the Supreme Judicial Court has heard the appeal and hasn't ruled.

Are Kalshi sports contracts banned in Massachusetts?

Not today. A court ordered Kalshi to stop accepting sports event contracts from Massachusetts customers without a Massachusetts Gaming Commission license, but that order is on hold, not lifted. If the Supreme Judicial Court rules for the state, the block can take effect.

When will the SJC decide the Kalshi case?

There is no deadline. The Supreme Judicial Court heard argument on May 4, 2026, and in September it waived its usual 130-day deadline for deciding a case after argument. As of September 22, 2026 it hasn't ruled.

What is Massachusetts asking the court for?

Attorney General Andrea Campbell sued in September 2025. The suit asks that Kalshi either get a Massachusetts sports wagering license or stop offering sports contracts, and it seeks damages and civil penalties.

Does the Massachusetts case change how Kalshi trades are taxed?

No. A state court finding that Kalshi likely breaks state gambling law isn't a ruling on how your trades are taxed. Federal tax treatment is a question under the Internal Revenue Code, and no court or IRS guidance has settled it for event contracts.

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