Are Prediction Markets Legal in Illinois?

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

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

Prediction markets in Illinois

Contested — no ruling yet

Three prediction-market cases sit with the same judge in Illinois and none of them has been decided. Coinbase Financial Markets sued the Attorney General and the Gaming Board first, in December 2025, and its injunction motion has been fully briefed since February 2026. The Gaming Board’s cease-and-desist letters then drew the United States and the CFTC, which sued the state in April 2026. Illinois enacted SB 3019 in June, licensing and taxing prediction markets, and Kalshi brought its own preemption challenge to both the licensing regime and the tax (Kalshi v. Raoul). Judge Pacold now holds all three and has signalled she may resolve the overlapping injunction motions together.

Litigation affecting Illinois

United States v. State of IllinoisThe CFTC sued Illinois (April 2026) after the Illinois Gaming Board’s cease-and-desist letters.

Pending — no final ruling

KalshiEX LLC v. RaoulKalshi sued Illinois (June 2026) over SB 3019, challenging both its licensing regime and its prediction-market tax as preempted by the Commodity Exchange Act.

Pending — injunction fully briefed, undecided

Coinbase Financial Markets, Inc. v. RaoulCoinbase’s preliminary-injunction motion has been fully briefed since February 2026 and remains undecided; Judge Pacold now holds all three Illinois prediction-market cases.

Pending — injunction fully briefed since February 2026

Which platforms are available in Illinois?

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 Illinois
Platform	Status in Illinois	Source
Kalshi	Offered here, per the platform’s own availability list	Platform’s list
Polymarket (international)	Unavailable here	Platform’s list
DKeX (DraftKings Predictions)	Financial markets only	Platform’s list (archived Sep 16)
Underdog (Underdog Predict)	Offered here, per the platform’s own availability list	Platform’s list
Novig	Offered here, per the platform’s own availability list	Platform’s list

Sports betting & gambling in Illinois

Legal — Online & Retail

Legalized 2019; launched March 2020 The market is regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board. Tribal gaming: not a factor.

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.