Missouri Orders Kalshi, Polymarket and Four Rivals to Halt Sports Contracts

Missouri's attorney general ordered six prediction market companies to stop offering sports event contracts in the state, calling the trades unlicensed sports betting.

Catherine Hanaway named Polymarket, Kalshi, Crypto.com, Novig, Underdog and Robinhood in cease-and-desist orders announced on Sept. 18, 2026.

Missouri's licensed sportsbooks took $246.8 million in bets in July 2026, the most recent month the Missouri Gaming Commission has reported. The state taxes what those books keep, which came to $21.8 million.

Hanaway Says Voters Chose a Licensed Market

Missouri voters approved sports betting in 2024, and the regulated market opened on Dec. 1, 2025. Hanaway's office says the six companies take sports wagers without the license that law requires.

"Companies cannot repackage sports bets as 'event contracts' to avoid Missouri law."

Hanaway said that in the announcement. Any company offering sports wagering in the state must be licensed, pay the required taxes and fees, and "ensure no one under 21 can place a bet," she said.

Her office said the six either allow underage users or lack the safeguards to keep Missourians under 21 out. The orders give each company 30 days to comply, according to multiple news reports, and the office said failure to comply will bring enforcement action by the state.

Operators Point to Their Federal Regulator

Robinhood said its event contracts are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and offered through a CFTC-registered arm. Polymarket said prediction markets answer to a federal framework, "not a patchwork of state rules." Both companies gave those statements to Kansas City television station KCTV5.

Federal courts disagree on the question. A Philadelphia appeals court ruled on April 6, 2026 that the CFTC's authority over sports event contracts is exclusive, and the Ninth Circuit let Nevada enforce its gambling law against Kalshi on Aug. 28.

Underdog, one of the six, has sued five states to block their enforcement. Missouri's 30-day window closes on Oct. 18.

Treat gambling as entertainment you pay for. 18+, and if it stops feeling like entertainment, help exists at BeGambleAware and GamCare.