Are Prediction Markets Legal in California?

Last updated September 27, 2026. Snapshot — not legal advice.

As of September 27, 2026, the legality of prediction markets in California is unresolved — litigation is ongoing with no final ruling yet.

Prediction markets in California

Contested — tribes won on appeal (IGRA)
Two tribes sued Kalshi and Robinhood under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (Blue Lake Rancheria v. Kalshi). The district court denied their injunction in 2025, but on September 16, 2026 the Ninth Circuit reversed in part in a published opinion: sports event contracts entered from tribal land are class III gaming the tribes have not authorized, and the Commodity Exchange Act does not displace IGRA. It sent the case back to decide the remaining injunction factors, so no injunction is in place yet — and the ruling concerns tribal land, not the state as a whole. California has no legal sports betting.

Litigation affecting California

Blue Lake Rancheria v. Kalshi, Inc.The Ninth Circuit held the tribes likely to succeed under IGRA (September 16, 2026, published): Kalshi’s sports contracts are class III gaming when entered from tribal land, and the Commodity Exchange Act does not displace IGRA.
Reversed in part for the tribes (9th Cir., published); remanded

Which platforms are available in California?

Each platform’s own published availability list, checked September 24, 2026. This table covers the platforms whose complete list we could verify from a primary source: Kalshi, Polymarket (international), DKeX (DraftKings Predictions), Underdog (Underdog Predict), Novig.

Platform availability in California
PlatformStatus in CaliforniaSource
KalshiOffered here, per the platform’s own availability listPlatform’s list
Polymarket (international)Unavailable herePlatform’s list
DKeX (DraftKings Predictions)Offered here, per the platform’s own availability listPlatform’s list (archived Sep 16)
Underdog (Underdog Predict)Offered here, per the platform’s own availability listPlatform’s list
NovigOffered here, per the platform’s own availability listPlatform’s list

Sports betting & gambling in California

Not Legal

No legal sports betting; competing Props 26 and 27 both failed at the November 2022 ballot The market is regulated by the California Gambling Control Commission / Bureau of Gambling Control. Tribal gaming: Significant (powerful tribal gaming interests; central to IGRA questions).

The federal-vs-state fight

Every entry in this fight turns on the same question: does a prediction-market platform's federal regulation by the CFTC preempt a state's gambling law, or does the state retain authority to restrict it? Courts around the country are answering that question differently — sometimes for the platform, sometimes for the state — and almost every ruling so far is preliminary and under appeal. Treat this page as a snapshot, not a final word.

This page is informational, not legal advice. Nearly every litigation entry referenced here is a preliminary ruling under appeal. Always verify a platform's current, location-specific eligibility directly with the venue before relying on this page.