Home › Is Polymarket legal? › Wisconsin
Status as of September 25, 2026 · every line has its source and date · not legal advice
As of September 25, 2026: polymarket.com does not let US users open new positions, including in Wisconsin. Polymarket US, the CFTC-regulated app, is reported available in Wisconsin according to United States v. State of Wisconsin, No. 26-C-749 (E.D. Wis.), Decision and Order (Dkt. 54) (July 29, 2026). 6 state actions involving Polymarket and 13 involving Kalshi are listed below with their sources. This is a dated summary of public sources, not legal advice.
| Service | Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Polymarket US (CFTC-regulated app) | Reported available |
| polymarket.com (international site) | No new trades for US users |
| Kalshi (for comparison) | Available; sports contracts available |
Kalshi and Polymarket US are reported live in Wisconsin, including sports, while the state's 2026-04-23 lawsuits sit in federal court with remand and injunction motions pending; a federal judge denied the CFTC's injunction against Wisconsin (2026-07-28), and that ruling is on appeal in the Seventh Circuit.
| Date | Company | Event and source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-21 | Kalshi | Kalshi asked the Seventh Circuit for permission to appeal the Ho-Chunk ruling (No. 26-8020). Kalshi Inc. v. Ho-Chunk Nation, No. 26-8020 (7th Cir.), docket (CourtListener) |
| 2026-09-11 | Kalshi | Judge Conley approved an immediate appeal of his May 11 Ho-Chunk ruling under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) and paused the case, on condition that Kalshi promptly asks the Seventh Circuit for leave to appeal. Ho-Chunk Nation v. Kalshi Inc., No. 25-cv-698-wmc (W.D. Wis.), Opinion and Order (Dkt. 114) |
| 2026-09-08 | Kalshi | The Eastern District court paused the CFTC's Wisconsin case and closed it administratively until the Seventh Circuit decides the appeals. United States v. State of Wisconsin, No. 2:26-cv-00749 (E.D. Wis.), docket entry 72 (CourtListener) |
| 2026-08-24 | Kalshi | The Seventh Circuit refused to speed up the appeal and combined the CFTC, Kalshi and American Gaming Association appeals. Appellants' briefs were due 2026-09-21 and Wisconsin's brief is due 2026-10-21. USA v. State of Wisconsin, No. 26-2636 (7th Cir.), docket (CourtListener) |
| 2026-08-07 | Kalshi | The CFTC appealed the denial to the Seventh Circuit (No. 26-2636), and KalshiEX filed its own appeal on 2026-08-13 (No. 26-2675). United States v. State of Wisconsin, No. 2:26-cv-00749 (E.D. Wis.), docket (CourtListener) |
| 2026-07-28 | Polymarket | In the CFTC's case, which covers the state's suits against Polymarket and four others, Judge Griesbach denied the CFTC's request for a preliminary injunction; the CFTC appealed to the Seventh Circuit. United States v. State of Wisconsin, No. 26-C-749 (E.D. Wis.), Decision and Order (Dkt. 54) |
| 2026-07-28 | Kalshi | Judge William Griesbach (E.D. Wis.) denied the CFTC's request for a preliminary injunction against Wisconsin, finding the CFTC unlikely to succeed on the merits. He also denied Kalshi's motions to intervene and join (order signed 2026-07-28, entered 2026-07-29). United States v. State of Wisconsin, No. 26-C-749 (E.D. Wis.), Decision and Order (Dkt. 54) |
| 2026-06-11 | Polymarket | QCX asked to move the case to the Eastern District of Wisconsin while the state's remand motion was pending; no ruling on either appears through the docket entry dated 2026-09-22. State of Wisconsin v. QCX, LLC, No. 3:26-cv-00375 (W.D. Wis.), docket (CourtListener) |
| 2026-06-10 | Polymarket | By agreement of the parties, Blockratize Inc. d/b/a Polymarket and QC Clearing LLC were dropped from the case without prejudice, leaving QCX LLC (Polymarket US) as the defendant. State of Wisconsin v. QCX, LLC, No. 3:26-cv-00375 (W.D. Wis.), docket entry 21 (CourtListener) |
| 2026-06-09 | Kalshi | Wisconsin asked for a preliminary injunction barring Kalshi, Robinhood and Coinbase from offering sports-related event contracts to customers located in Wisconsin, to be decided only if remand is denied. Plaintiff's Notice of Motion and Motion for a Preliminary Injunction, State of Wisconsin v. Kalshi, Inc., No. 26-CV-378 (W.D. Wis.), Dkt. 62 |
| 2026-05-14 | Kalshi | Wisconsin asked the federal court to send its Kalshi case back to state court (motion to remand). State of Wisconsin v. Kalshi, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00378 (W.D. Wis.), docket entry 27 (CourtListener) |
| 2026-05-11 | Kalshi | Judge Conley dismissed the Ho-Chunk Nation's Lanham Act and RICO claims but let its IGRA claims against Kalshi go forward. He denied the tribe's preliminary injunction because it had not shown irreparable harm, although he found it likely to succeed on the IGRA claim. Ho-Chunk Nation v. Kalshi Inc., No. 25-cv-698-wmc (W.D. Wis.), Opinion and Order (Dkt. 114) describing the May 11, 2026 order |
| 2026-04-28 | Polymarket | The CFTC sued Wisconsin, citing the state's lawsuits against Polymarket, Kalshi, Crypto.com, Robinhood and Coinbase. CFTC Sues Wisconsin to Reaffirm its Exclusive Jurisdiction Over Prediction Markets (Release 9220-26) |
| 2026-04-28 | Kalshi | The United States and the CFTC sued the State of Wisconsin, Gov. Evers, AG Kaul, the Division of Gaming and its administrator in the Eastern District of Wisconsin (No. 2:26-cv-749), arguing federal law preempts the state's suits against Kalshi and four other platforms. Complaint, United States and CFTC v. State of Wisconsin, No. 2:26-cv-749 (E.D. Wis.) |
| 2026-04-24 | Polymarket | QCX LLC moved the Dane County case (No. 26cv1285) to the Western District of Wisconsin, where it became State of Wisconsin v. QCX, LLC, No. 3:26-cv-00375. State of Wisconsin v. QCX, LLC, No. 3:26-cv-00375 (W.D. Wis.), docket (CourtListener) |
| 2026-04-24 | Kalshi | Kalshi moved the Dane County case (No. 26-CV-1284) to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, where it became No. 3:26-cv-00378 before Judge William M. Conley. State of Wisconsin v. Kalshi, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00378 (W.D. Wis.), docket (CourtListener) |
| 2026-04-23 | Polymarket | Wisconsin's AG sued Blockratize Inc. d/b/a Polymarket, QCX LLC d/b/a Polymarket US and QC Clearing LLC in Wisconsin Circuit Court (No. 2026CV001285), alleging illegal gambling and a public nuisance and asking to bar sports-related event contracts for customers in Wisconsin. Complaint, United States and CFTC v. State of Wisconsin, No. 2:26-cv-749 (E.D. Wis.), para. 64 |
| 2026-04-23 | Kalshi | The Wisconsin Department of Justice (AG Josh Kaul) sued Kalshi, Robinhood, Coinbase and their affiliates in Dane County. It asks the court to declare that offering sports-related event contracts to customers in Wisconsin violates Wis. Stat. § 945.03(1m) and is a public nuisance, and to bar that activity by injunction. Wisconsin DOJ Sues To Stop Alleged Illegal Sports Betting Operations in Wisconsin (press release) |
| 2025-08-20 | Kalshi | The Ho-Chunk Nation sued Kalshi Inc., KalshiEX LLC and two Robinhood entities in federal court, claiming their sports event contracts are unlawful gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA); it also brought Lanham Act and RICO claims. Ho-Chunk Nation v. Kalshi Inc., No. 3:25-cv-00698 (W.D. Wis.), docket (CourtListener) |
State regulator: Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Gaming. It regulates Indian (tribal) and charitable gaming, while the suits against Kalshi and Polymarket were brought by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (AG Josh Kaul); the Division and its administrator were dropped from the CFTC suit by agreement.
Polymarket US operates as a CFTC-designated contract market after Polymarket bought the CFTC-licensed exchange QCEX; Kalshi has been a designated contract market since 2020. Whether states may still apply their gambling laws to sports event contracts is being decided in the courts:
How sure is this page? Confidence: medium. Court events are confirmed from dockets and orders, but the current live status rests on one news roundup (CBS, 2026-09-24) plus the lack of any injunction on the dockets through 2026-09-22. Researched September 25, 2026; court cases in several states can change the status at any time.
Related: all states · Polymarket US · polymarket.com and the United States · is Kalshi legal in Wisconsin? (Kalshi View)
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As of September 25, 2026: polymarket.com does not let US users open new positions, including in Wisconsin. Polymarket US, the CFTC-regulated app, is reported available in Wisconsin according to United States v. State of Wisconsin, No. 26-C-749 (E.D. Wis.), Decision and Order (Dkt. 54) (July 29, 2026). 6 state actions involving Polymarket and 13 involving Kalshi are listed below with their sources. This is a dated summary of public sources, not legal advice.
Not for new trades. Polymarket's help center lists the United States as a blocked country and its developer documentation lists it as close-only (existing positions can be closed, new ones cannot be opened); US residents are pointed to Polymarket US.
Available; sports contracts available, according to the sources on this page as of September 25, 2026.
Polymarket View is independent and not affiliated with Polymarket or Kalshi. This page summarises public sources; it is not legal advice. Polymarket odds today