United States v. State of Illinois

Pending — no final rulingCFTC v. State

Last updated August 16, 2026. Snapshot — not legal advice.

Overview

The Illinois Gaming Board issued cease-and-desist letters to prediction-market operators; the United States (through the DOJ) and the CFTC sued Illinois on April 2, 2026 — one of the first federal suits by the regulator against a state — to block enforcement and reaffirm the CFTC’s exclusive jurisdiction. The complaint is captioned The United States of America; and Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. State of Illinois; JB Pritzker (Governor), Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Illinois Gaming Board officials. No final ruling has been identified; the case is pending. Kalshi has separately challenged an Illinois prediction-market tax. (Caption + docket confirmed against the CFTC complaint PDF: N.D. Ill. No. 1:26-cv-03659.)

Timeline

April 2026

CFTC and DOJ sue Illinois (with Arizona and Connecticut) to block state enforcement.

June 2026

Kalshi separately challenges an Illinois prediction-market tax.

What's next: No final ruling identified; litigation pending.

Parties

Plaintiffs

  • United States of America (Department of Justice)
  • U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Defendants

  • State of Illinois
  • JB Pritzker (Governor)
  • Kwame Raoul (Attorney General)
  • Dionne R. Hayden (Chair, Illinois Gaming Board)
  • Illinois Gaming Board members and administrator Marcus D. Fruchter
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