Ohio Targets Ten Prediction-Market Operators After the Sixth Circuit Win
October 8, 2026 · How we source this
Days after the Sixth Circuit's September 25 ruling, the Ohio Casino Control Commission told ten operators to stop offering sports event contracts in Ohio by October 16, 2026. Kalshi was not among the recipients.
The notices
The Ohio Casino Control Commission sent cease-and-desist notices dated October 2, 2026 to ten operators, according to Covers. The recipients are Polymarket, Novig, Underdog, Coinbase, ProphetX, Robinhood, Gemini Titan, Webull, Plus500 and Moomoo Financial.
Each operator is told to stop offering sports event contracts to Ohio residents by October 16, 2026. Kalshi did not receive a notice.
The legal theory
The Commission characterizes the activity as unlicensed gaming and bookmaking, which it describes as a felony under state law. Its letter states plainly that the company 'is operating online sports gaming,' per Covers' account of the letters.
The notices rest on the Sixth Circuit's September 25 ruling that the Commodity Exchange Act does not preempt Ohio's gaming law as applied to sports event contracts.
What the state says it can do
The notices warn that non-compliance could lead the Commission to pursue all legal remedies and actions. They also cite civil penalties or fines equal to the money or value of property obtained from sports event contracts.
Governor Mike DeWine described the products as 'really gambling, nothing more than that.' Covers also notes that Ohio fined Kalshi $5 million in April.
Why the recipients differ from Kalshi
The Sixth Circuit decision concerned Kalshi's own contracts. The ten recipients are different companies with different products and registrations, so each may have distinct arguments about its own status.
The ruling nonetheless gives Ohio a binding appellate position on the swap and preemption questions, which makes a state enforcement push against the wider field a predictable next step.
What to watch after October 16
The deadline will show which operators geofence Ohio, which negotiate, and which litigate. Any operator that files suit will have to argue around the Sixth Circuit's reasoning on the swap definition.
Ohio is also not alone. The Block reports more than a dozen states have taken enforcement action or filed suit against Kalshi, and the Sixth Circuit result may encourage similar notices elsewhere.
Covers' account relies on letters obtained by a local outlet, and the notices themselves were not independently reviewed for this piece.