Where prediction markets are legal in 2026

Where are prediction markets legal in 2026?

The short answer is that access is not one national yes-or-no list. It is a venue matrix. Our state matrix tracks 51 jurisdictions across Kalshi, Polymarket US and Robinhood event contracts. As verified on 2026-09-18, Kalshi is available in 39 jurisdictions, limited in 10, and unavailable in 2. Polymarket US is limited in 50 and unavailable in Nevada. Robinhood is available in 46, limited in Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey, and unavailable in Montana and Nevada. This is not legal advice. It is a status matrix for access as published and checked on the verification date. The reason the map does not match sportsbook maps is structural: prediction markets use the federal event-contract lane, while sportsbooks are licensed state by state.

Which states are available, limited or unavailable by venue?

The table below is the working access map. Available means the venue is marked available for that jurisdiction. Limited means access exists but is not treated as full statewide availability in our matrix. Unavailable means the venue is marked unavailable. Nevada is the cleanest hard stop: Kalshi, Polymarket US and Robinhood are all marked unavailable there. Montana is narrower: Kalshi and Robinhood are unavailable, while Polymarket US is marked limited. State pages carry the local version of the same matrix; examples include the California state page, the Texas state page and the Nevada state page.

Why does the map not look like the sportsbook map?

Sportsbook legality and event-contract access are different maps. California is the simplest example. California voters rejected both sports-betting ballot measures in 2022, and no online sportsbook is licensed there, but Kalshi is marked available, Polymarket US is marked limited and Robinhood is marked available. Texas is similar from the bettor’s seat: no online sportsbook is licensed, every legalization bill to date has died without reaching the governor, and the legislature meets only in odd years, but Kalshi and Robinhood are marked available while Polymarket US is marked limited. Florida is different again because sports betting runs through a one-operator compact, while Georgia remains without legal sports betting. That is why a sportsbook availability article does not answer the prediction-market question. The useful comparison is state plus venue, not state alone. See the California sportsbook comparison and the Texas sportsbook comparison for the sportsbook side of that split.

What changed the access numbers in 2026?

The access map moved because the law and venue rules moved. This is not legal advice. The cleanest 2026 litigation split is New Jersey versus Nevada. On 2026-04-06, the Third Circuit upheld an injunction protecting Kalshi’s sports event contracts from New Jersey enforcement and found federal preemption under the CEA. On 2026-08-28, the Ninth Circuit held Nevada could enforce its gambling law against Kalshi’s sports event contracts, the opposite result. On 2026-09-02, a petition asked the Supreme Court to resolve that split. Separately, the promo-exclusion list grew from 9 to 13 states during 2026. Promo exclusion is not the same as availability. It affects offers and promotions, not the venue-status label by itself. The live history is kept in the changelog.

How should bettors read available, limited and unavailable?

Use the status label as a first pass, not as a bet ticket. Available is the broadest access label in the matrix. Limited is a warning that the venue appears in the jurisdiction but not as full access. Unavailable is the hard label. Then check market rules, account rules, fees and limits before staking anything. The access matrix does not say a market is +EV, that a line is beatable, or that a venue will offer the exact event a bettor wants. It only says what the venue-status map says. The same discipline applies to line shopping. If a contract is available, the next question is price, vig, fees and fill quality, which belong on the live board and market pages, not in the access map.

• Start with the state pages for jurisdiction status.
• Check whether the venue says available, limited or unavailable before comparing prices.
• Treat the 13-state promo-exclusion list as a promo rule, not a full access ban.
• Use the market archive only after access is confirmed for the relevant venue.

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