Wisconsin judge lets Ho-Chunk Nation's IGRA case against Kalshi proceed, dismisses RICO claims
U.S. District Judge William M. Conley in Madison ruled May 12 that the Ho-Chunk Nation's lawsuit against Kalshi can proceed, rejecting Kalshi's motion to dismiss. The tribe sued in August 2025 alleging that Kalshi's sports event contracts constitute illegal sports gambling under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) and infringe on its exclusive gaming rights on tribal lands. The court found the tribe sufficiently alleged that Kalshi's online sports event contracts constitute Class III gaming. The ruling clears the case for further hearings or trial. Separately, the judge dismissed Lanham Act and RICO claims against both Kalshi and Robinhood. The court denied the tribe's bid for a preliminary injunction to remove Kalshi from Wisconsin, finding no irreparable harm was demonstrated.
Keeps alive a tribal gaming-rights argument that could force Kalshi to restructure or pull its sports event contracts in any state with IGRA-protected tribes, ahead of what the platform had planned as a fall 2025 sports expansion.