Google blocks prediction market ads in Ohio after Kalshi court defeat
Google blocked all paid prediction market advertising in Ohio on June 2, 2026, suspending advertisers' accounts over compliance questions tied to CFTC oversight. The ban covers prediction markets, event contracts, derivatives, and outcome-based financial instruments, going beyond standard geo-blocking of trading itself. The move follows cease-and-desist letters that Ohio's securities regulator sent to Kalshi, Robinhood, and Crypto.com in April 2025 regarding event contracts, and comes after Kalshi suffered a court defeat in the state. Google's action marks an escalation in Ohio's enforcement push against federally regulated prediction market platforms.
Kalshi and Polymarket now lose a critical user-acquisition channel in Ohio, forcing them to rely on organic reach just as state regulators there test whether CFTC-regulated status shields platforms from local gambling enforcement.