The charges come after a federal judge ruled that Utah could enforce its anti-gambling laws against prediction markets. Posted on October 29, 2026 October 29, 2026 The US state of Utah announced criminal charges against popular prediction market Kalshi and its two co-founders, accusing the platform and its executives of illegally promoting online gambling. Utah Attorney General Derek Brown filed charges against Kalshi, CEO Tarek Mansour and COO Luana Lopes Lara on Wednesday. a day after US President Donald Trump’s administration sued the state to block its civil law enforcement actions against the platform. List of 4 Item Recommended Storiesend of list According to the criminal complaint filed in a Salt Lake City court, Kalshi facilitated an undercover law enforcement officer’s betting on sporting events, including NFL games. The charges come after a federal judge ruled in August that Utah had the right to enforce its strict anti-gambling laws against online prediction markets, following a legal attempt by Kalshi to block enforcement of the The criminal complaint charges the defendants with 12 counts of promoting online gambling, one count of general promoting gambling and one count of pattern of unlawful activity. Kalshi and Brown’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Utah has some of the strictest bans against gambling in the U.S., and its state constitution explicitly prohibits lawmakers from legalizing the activity. The charges mark an escalation in a standoff between US states and the Trump administration over the regulation of prediction markets. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a lawsuit seeking to block Utah’s enforcement actions against prediction markets, arguing that the platforms fall under federal jurisdiction. The regulator announced the move after Utah last week filed a civil lawsuit accusing Kalshi of facilitating bets on sports, elections, politics and other outcomes in violation of anti-gambling laws. New Jersey asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on whether state or federal authorities have jurisdiction over sports betting on prediction market platforms.
