Google blocks prediction market ads in Ohio after Kalshi court defeat
Google blocked prediction market advertisements in Ohio on June 2, 2026, cutting off a key distribution channel for event-contract platforms in the state. The move follows Ohio Casino Control Commission cease-and-desist letters to Kalshi, Robinhood, and Crypto.com in April 2025, which prompted Kalshi to sue state regulators. Kalshi later lost a related court challenge, according to one source, though the specific ruling was not detailed. Ohio regulators are contending that event contracts fall under state gambling law rather than exclusive federal CFTC jurisdiction. The ad ban marks a practical enforcement win for the state even as parallel federal preemption battles play out in Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.
Kalshi loses paid user acquisition in Ohio while already defending against the state's cease-and-desist order and fighting felony bans in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The ad ban forces Kalshi to rely on organic reach in a top-ten U.S. market just as state regulators there challenge CFTC jurisdiction.
Kalshi's state-level legal exposure now spans five jurisdictions after earlier Ohio and New Mexico actions, a federal preemption test in Minnesota, and now the loss of paid user acquisition in Ohio.