Connecticut sues Kalshi to block sports event contracts
Connecticut sued Kalshi on August 26, seeking an injunction to block the prediction market platform from offering sports event contracts to state residents. The state argues the contracts amount to unlicensed sports wagering under state law. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced the suit in Hartford Superior Court. Kalshi Head of Litigation Jovy Dedaj called the move arbitrary enforcement, noting other platforms still operate in the state. The suit escalates a months-long feud and follows a federal judge's August 10 denial of Kalshi's bid to block the state's earlier cease-and-desist order.
The Connecticut suit cracks Kalshi's federal preemption shield in a second state, forcing the platform to fight on multiple fronts while New Jersey petitions the Supreme Court for a single federal answer. Governor Ned Lamont framed the action around consumer protection, giving other governors political cover to file copycat suits. Kalshi must now allocate legal spend across parallel state cases instead of one clean federal defense.
Each new state filing emboldens the next attorney general, and the suits compound faster than any single case can resolve. Polymarket and other CFTC-registered venues face identical exposure because the same preemption logic underpins their sports offerings. A geofence in Connecticut would fragment liquidity before any final ruling lands.