Home Kalshi’s legal battles intensify, Google prohibits extensions, Polymarket pushes US expansion, today in prediction market news LIVE

Kalshi’s legal battles intensify, Google prohibits extensions, Polymarket pushes US expansion, today in prediction market news LIVE

Today in prediction market news, we’re tracking the biggest stories as they unfold, including a wave of new lawsuits facing Kalshi, Google’s decision to ban prediction market extensions from its stores, the CFTC’s approval of Optex Markets as a new prediction market exchange, Polymarket’s reported bid to secure a U.S. license for margin trading, fresh debate over insider trading and employee betting policies, and the latest state and federal regulatory developments. Follow along for live updates on prediction markets, regulation, sports event trading, crypto, and the companies shaping the industry’s next chapter.

Coverage ended Updated 1 month ago

Polymarket eyes margin trading in US push

Suswati Basu Suswati Basu
Polymarket isn't just trying to come home to the U.S.—it's reportedly already planning the renovations. The prediction market giant is said to have applied for a futures commission merchant (FCM) license, a key step toward offering margin trading to U.S. users.

 

If approved, traders could open larger positions without putting up the full amount of cash upfront, bringing Polymarket a little closer to the tools institutional investors expect. The move follows Kalshi's own push into margin infrastructure.

Former senator defends prediction markets on CNBC

Suswati Basu Suswati Basu
The "prediction markets versus gambling" debate made its way to CNBC today, with former Nevada Senator and Kalshi adviser Dean Heller firmly planting his flag on one side. 


Heller argued there's still "so much misinformation" surrounding event contracts, describing prediction markets as transparent, consumer-friendly, and heavily regulated by the CFTC. Pointing to Kalshi's four-year approval process and ongoing regulatory oversight, he rejected claims that the industry operates without supervision, calling that assertion "flat out false." 

CFTC greenlights Optex as new prediction exchange

Suswati Basu Suswati Basu
The CFTC has approved Optex Markets to operate as a designated contract market, making it the latest federally regulated prediction market exchange in the U.S. The approval came just six months after Optex applied, continuing a noticeably faster pace for exchange approvals under the current administration. 

New Mexico wants Kalshi case returned to state court

Suswati Basu Suswati Basu
New Mexico isn't buying Kalshi's argument that this fight belongs in federal court. The state's Attorney General has formally asked a federal judge to send its lawsuit back to state court, arguing the case is about enforcing New Mexico's gambling laws—not federal commodities law.


In the filing, New Mexico points out that courts in Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, and Michigan have already rejected similar attempts by Kalshi to remove state enforcement actions to federal court, calling the company's removal arguments a losing strategy. 

"Each theory Kalshi asserts here does not justify removal. Each has been rejected by other federal district courts."

New York cites Kalshi win in CFTC fight

Suswati Basu Suswati Basu

The legal plot thickens. New York's Attorney General has asked the federal judge overseeing the CFTC's lawsuit against the state to consider Judge Analisa Torres' recent ruling in Kalshi's separate case against New York as supplemental authority. In plain English, the state is saying, "You might want to read what your colleague just decided." 

White House rejects claims of CFTC politicization

Suswati Basu Suswati Basu

The White House has entered the prediction market chat. In a letter to Senate leaders, administration officials pushed back against accusations that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, SEC, and other independent agencies are being politicized through delayed appointments. Instead, the White House argues Democrats have failed to provide bipartisan nominees for key vacancies, insisting it has repeatedly sought recommendations. 

Google tightens rules on prediction market extensions

Suswati Basu Suswati Basu
Google is making life a little harder for prediction market extensions. The company has updated its Chrome Web Store policies to prohibit extensions that facilitate real-money trading on prediction markets, with enforcement set to begin on August 1, 2026. The changes are part of a general privacy and user protection overhaul, but they could have significant implications for developers building browser tools around platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket. 

Think tank says Kalshi retail traders lost $583M

Suswati Basu Suswati Basu
Prediction markets are supposed to reward good forecasting, but a new report argues the biggest winners may simply be the most sophisticated traders. 


The Roosevelt Institute claims retail users on Kalshi have collectively lost an estimated $583.5 million since the platform launched in 2021, with professional traders capturing the lion's share of profits. The think tank argues prediction markets can leave everyday users at a disadvantage because they're often trading against firms armed with better data, automation, and market-making strategies.

Kalshi has not publicly responded to the report, but it's likely to fuel the already-heated debate over whether prediction markets look more like investing or gambling. 

Kalshi hit with privacy tracking lawsuit

Suswati Basu Suswati Basu
Just when Kalshi's legal team thought the inbox might stay quiet for a few hours, along comes another lawsuit. 


This time, it's a proposed class action alleging the prediction market operator embedded dozens of third-party tracking tools that shared users' browsing and trading activity with companies including Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok without proper consent. Kalshi denies wrongdoing, and the allegations have yet to be tested in court, but the case adds another front to the company's growing legal docket. 

Here's what the lawsuit claims, why it matters, and what it could mean for prediction market platforms.

Arizona bars state workers from insider prediction trades

Suswati Basu Suswati Basu
Good afternoon, welcome to today's live blog. Another day, another reminder that prediction markets can't seem to stay out of the legal headlines. Arizona has joined the growing conversation over insider trading in event contracts, with Governor Katie Hobbs signing an executive order banning state employees from using non-public information to trade on prediction markets. 


It's a move that treats event contracts a lot more like financial markets than sportsbooks, even as the broader debate over what prediction markets actually are continues in courts, statehouses, and regulatory offices. We broke down what the order does, why it matters, and whether other states could soon follow Arizona's lead.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the gambling and blockchain industries for major developments, new product and brand launches, game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to in-house staff writers with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Suswati Basu
News Editor

Suswati Basu is a multilingual, award-winning editor and the founder of the intersectional literature channel, How To Be Books. She was shortlisted for the Guardian Mary Stott Prize and longlisted for the Guardian International Development Journalism Award. With 18 years of experience in the media industry, Suswati has held significant roles such as head of audience and deputy editor for NationalWorld news, digital editor for Channel 4 News and ITV News. She has also contributed to the Guardian and received training at the BBC. As an audience, trends, and SEO specialist, she has participated in panel events alongside Google. Her…