Missouri agreed on November 10, 2026, to hold off on criminal, civil and administrative enforcement of its gaming laws against Kalshi in state courts and agencies until a final judgment in Kalshi’s federal lawsuit, unless the state’s counterclaims are dismissed first, according to a joint stipulation filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Missouri. The pause comes as federal courts in Utah and Louisiana prepare to hear challenges to state crackdowns on prediction markets on November 20 and November 23.
- Utah hearing
- Nov 20
- CFTC restraining order request
- Kalshi v. Louisiana
- Nov 23
- federal injunction hearing
- Louisiana state court
- Nov 30
- state injunction hearing
- Missouri pause
- Nov 10
- joint stipulation
What Missouri Agreed To
Kalshi sued Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and the Missouri Gaming Commission on October 27 over her September 16 cease-and-desist letter. That day, the state’s Solicitor General told Kalshi that Missouri could not agree to withhold enforcement.
The state defendants will not pursue enforcement of Missouri gaming law against Kalshi over the conduct in the letter and Kalshi’s filings, in state courts or before state agencies, until the earlier of a final judgment in the federal case or the dismissal, other than a voluntary one, of Missouri’s state-law counterclaims.
Hanaway filed those counterclaims on November 11 in an answer to Kalshi’s suit. They accuse Kalshi of operating without a Missouri Gaming Commission license, in breach of the federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and Missouri’s Merchandising Practices Act, and ask the court to stop Kalshi from accepting payments from Missouri residents for unlawful internet gambling. Novig, North American Derivatives Exchange, Underdog, Polymarket US and Robinhood have filed their own federal suits against Missouri officials since October 16.
Utah: Restraining Order Hearing on November 20
The United States and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) sued Utah on October 26, six days after the state brought an enforcement action against Kalshi in a Salt Lake County court. Utah filed criminal charges against Kalshi and its co-founders on October 28. On November 12, Judge Robert J. Shelby consolidated the case with a similar suit by North American Derivatives Exchange, which trades as OG.com Prediction Markets.
The hearing at 1:30 p.m. on November 20 covers only the CFTC’s request for a temporary restraining order. The court will take up its request for a preliminary injunction afterward.
DraftKings and FanDuel Predicts stopped offering sports, political and novelty contracts to Utah customers while keeping financial contracts, and Fanatics Markets stopped all trading there, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Utah law is clear: gambling is illegal in our state.
Derek Brown, Utah Attorney General, to The Salt Lake Tribune
Louisiana: Two Courts, Two Hearings
On November 12, Kalshi asked the federal court in western Louisiana to stop state officials from enforcing any Louisiana law against it over its federally regulated exchange. It has since moved to withdraw its request for a temporary restraining order, and the court set a hearing on its preliminary injunction motion for 1:30 p.m. on November 23.
The same day, a state judge in Tangipahoa Parish ordered Kalshi and other prediction market companies to stop offering event contracts in Louisiana without a state license, as we reported. That order expires on November 22 unless it is extended, and a hearing on the state’s request for a preliminary injunction is set for November 30.
The CFTC sued Louisiana on November 13 in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the 12th state it has taken to court. Its complaint asks the court to bar the state from enforcing or seeking to extend the state court’s order. The docket lists the CFTC’s motion for a restraining order and preliminary injunction for submission on November 17.
The state’s eleventh-hour ’emergency’ lawsuit seeking to shut down the entire prediction market industry is naked lawfare and a cynical political stunt.
Michael S. Selig, CFTC Chairman
Michigan
A preliminary injunction that Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel obtained in September requires Kalshi to block people in the state from its sports contracts, with violations carrying a $500,000 daily fine. Nessel has since asked the Ingham County court to hold Kalshi in civil contempt over marketing that reached Michigan residents, DeFi Rate reported in October.
What Happens Next
In Utah, the CFTC’s reply is due November 16. In Louisiana, the state’s response to Kalshi’s motion is due November 18 and Kalshi’s reply November 20, ahead of the federal hearing on November 23, a day after the state court’s order is due to expire.
