Vardan KhachatryanPrediction markets in Massachusetts
14 of the 15 apps we rank are open here, and 9 offer sports contracts.
- Apps restricted or contested
- Kalshi, Polymarket US, OG, Robinhood, DraftKings Predictions, Fanatics Markets, FanDuel Predicts, PrizePicks
- Rulings and actions in Massachusetts
- 3 on record, listed in the timeline
- Legal sports betting
- In person since January 31, 2023; online since March 10, 2023
- Minimum age
- 18 on most apps, 21 on three
- Key case
- Commonwealth v. KalshiEX LLC, SJC-13906
- Federal appeals court
- First Circuit: has not ruled on the question
- Last change
- September 8, 2026
Each entry on this page links the ruling or report it rests on. Nothing here is legal advice.
Why prediction markets are legal in Massachusetts, for now
Prediction market apps sell event contracts: yes-or-no questions that pay $1 if the answer is yes. The CFTC regulates the exchanges that list them.
The apps say federal oversight overrides state gaming law. Massachusetts disagrees, at least for sports.
The state has won the first round. A Superior Court judge ruled in January 2026 that Kalshi needs a state license for sports contracts.
That order has been on hold since February 17. Until the Supreme Judicial Court rules, nothing stops residents from trading.
Here is who offers what, and what that ruling could change.
Which prediction market apps work in Massachusetts
Every app we rank accepts Massachusetts residents. Most offer sports contracts, but not all.
The sportsbook brands hold back. DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics run licensed sportsbooks here, and the Gaming Commission bars licensees from sports event contracts.
OG, PrizePicks and Interactive Brokers list no sports contracts here either.
Five apps have sued or been sued over this: Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, Novig and Underdog. See Polymarket in Massachusetts and Robinhood in Massachusetts.
Age rules differ. Most apps take traders from 18. Novig, Fanatics Markets and Interactive Brokers require 21.
The table lists each app in our ranking order, with its status here and a link to our review.
| App | Status in Massachusetts | More |
|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | Contested for sports contracts, with no restriction in force | Is Kalshi legal in Massachusetts? |
| Gemini Predictions | Available, sports included | Gemini Predictions review |
| Polymarket US | Contested for sports contracts, with no restriction in force | Is Polymarket legal in Massachusetts? |
| OG | Available, but not for sports contracts | OG review |
| Interactive Brokers | Available; it lists no sports contracts anywhere | Interactive Brokers review |
| Robinhood | Contested for sports contracts, with no restriction in force | Is Robinhood legal in Massachusetts? |
| ProphetX | Available, sports included | ProphetX review |
| Coinbase | Available, sports included | Coinbase review |
| Webull | Available, sports included | Webull review |
| Novig | Available, sports included | Novig review |
| DraftKings Predictions | Available, but not for sports contracts | DraftKings Predictions review |
| Fanatics Markets | Not available | Fanatics Markets review |
| FanDuel Predicts | Available, but not for sports contracts | FanDuel Predicts review |
| PrizePicks | Available, but not for sports contracts | PrizePicks review |
| Underdog Predict | Available, sports included | Underdog Predict review |
How a prediction market trade works
Every contract is a yes-or-no question. It pays $1 if the answer is yes and nothing if it is no.
The price is the crowd's odds. A contract at 60¢ means traders put the chance at about 60%.
Say the Celtics are 60¢ to win tonight on Kalshi. You buy 100 contracts for $60, plus a $1.68 fee.
If they win, you collect $100, a $38.32 profit. If they lose, you are out $61.68.
You can also sell before the result, at whatever the market pays then. New to this? Start with what prediction markets are.
What Massachusetts has said about prediction markets
Two state bodies speak on this, and they agree. Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell brings the cases. The Gaming Commission licenses sportsbooks.
Campbell sued Kalshi on September 12, 2025, for sports wagering without a license. The commission had asked her to.
On November 13, 2025, the commission told every licensed sportsbook that offering sports event contracts in Massachusetts is prohibited.
It warned of steps “up to and including revocation” of their licenses.
Commission chair Jordan Maynard said prediction markets “may be even more harmful than the offshore books.”
Neither has acted against Polymarket or Robinhood. Both got written promises instead, tied to Kalshi's appeal.
Massachusetts also led a brief for 26 other states and DC, backing California tribes against Kalshi at the Ninth Circuit.
The court cases that shape Massachusetts' rules
One case matters most: Commonwealth v. KalshiEX LLC, now before the Supreme Judicial Court as No. SJC-13906.
Judge Christopher K. Barry-Smith granted the state a preliminary injunction on January 20, 2026. It would bar Kalshi's sports contracts for anyone in Massachusetts.
An Appeals Court justice stayed it on February 17. The SJC heard argument on May 4, and the justices sounded skeptical of Kalshi.
Justice Dalila Wendlandt put it plainly. “If Congress was going to take some role in sports gambling, it would have been more explicit,” she said.
Four federal suits wait in the wings. Polymarket's and Novig's are paused until the SJC rules, and Robinhood's is on appeal.
Underdog filed the fourth on September 8. The First Circuit, which covers Massachusetts, has not ruled on the question.
Our page on whether Kalshi is legal in Massachusetts covers the main case in full.
What Massachusetts residents can trade
Sports lead. Contracts cover the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins. The Red Sox named Kalshi their official prediction market partner in August 2026.
College football is on the board too. Kalshi lists games for UMass, Boston College, Harvard and Holy Cross.
Massachusetts sportsbooks cannot take those bets outside tournaments. The state's case cites that gap.
Politics is close behind. Governor Maura Healey faces Republican Michael Minogue on November 3, 2026. See the live Massachusetts governor odds.
The Senate race trades too. Ed Markey beat Seth Moulton in the September 1 primary and faces Republican John Deaton.
Economics, crypto and weather markets round it out.
The risks for Massachusetts traders
The law could shift on one ruling. If the SJC sides with the state, Kalshi's sports contracts could end here, and other apps could follow.
Location matters. The injunction reaches anyone located in Massachusetts, not just residents.
You can lose everything you put into a contract. A 90¢ favorite that loses pays nothing.
Taxes are unclear. Massachusetts taxes most income at 5% but short-term capital gains at 8.5%. We found no state guidance on which applies.
Trade only what you can afford to lose. Our responsible trading guide covers limits and where to get help.
What could change for Massachusetts traders
One ruling could. The SJC decision in Kalshi's case will decide whether the injunction takes effect.
It also starts clocks. The state's promises to Polymarket and Robinhood are tied to that ruling.
Then comes the federal layer. The First Circuit has Robinhood's appeal, and New Jersey has asked the Supreme Court to settle the question.
Our litigation tracker follows each of these cases.
Massachusetts prediction market timeline
Every change to prediction markets' standing in Massachusetts, newest first. Each entry links the ruling, filing or report behind it.
Prediction markets vs sports betting in Massachusetts
Massachusetts legalized sports betting on August 10, 2022. In-person betting started on January 31, 2023, and mobile betting on March 10.
Seven online sportsbooks are live. The state taxes their revenue at 20%, and in-person books at 15%.
Bettors must be 21. Sportsbooks may not take bets on in-state college teams outside tournaments, or on college players' stats.
Prediction markets follow none of those rules. Most take traders from 18, and none holds a state license.
That is the gap the attorney general's case is about. If a dispute comes up, you complain to the app first, then to the CFTC.
How to choose a prediction market app in Massachusetts
Start with what you want to trade. No Massachusetts action touches politics or economics markets.
For sports, weigh the legal risk. Every app offering sports here depends on how the SJC rules.
Then compare fees. They vary more than prices do. Our fee comparison works out each app's cost on the same trade.
Our app rankings score every app on the same six criteria. Each review covers fees, payouts and the lawsuits against it.
If you use Kalshi, read whether Kalshi is legal in Massachusetts first. It covers the injunction and the appeal.