Washington State Court Orders Kalshi to Cease Sports Betting Operations

A state court in Washington has ordered Kalshi to stop offering sports gambling and other wagers on its prediction market. King County Superior Court Judge John McHale issued a preliminary injunction following a lawsuit filed against Kalshi by the state of Washington. The order mandates that Kalshi cease all wagering activities related to sports, elections, politics, entertainment, culture, technology, and science within Washington. According to a press release from Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, Kalshi must implement an IP address and residency-based geofence by August 19 and a multi-source geofencing solution by September 2. The court noted that Kalshi is not licensed by the state Gambling Commission and is not registered to conduct business in Washington. Judge McHale indicated that Kalshi's advertisements suggesting it offers 'legal betting' in Washington are likely to mislead consumers regarding the legality of such activities under state law.