Vardan KhachatryanPrediction markets in Maryland
14 of the 15 apps we rank are open here, and 7 offer sports contracts.
- Apps restricted or contested
- Kalshi, Polymarket US, OG, Robinhood, Webull, DraftKings Predictions, Fanatics Markets, FanDuel Predicts, PrizePicks
- Rulings and actions in Maryland
- 3 on record, listed in the timeline
- Legal sports betting
- Mobile since November 23, 2022, taxed at 20%
- Minimum age
- 18 on most apps; 21 at Maryland sportsbooks
- Federal appeals court
- Fourth Circuit: has not ruled on the question
- Last change
- August 13, 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 Maryland
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.
That is federal oversight, so the apps hold no Maryland gaming license. For politics, economics and weather, nobody in Maryland disputes that.
Sports are different. Maryland's gaming regulator says a sports contract is a sports wager, and only licensed operators may take those.
A federal judge agreed the state likely has that power. Maryland then promised not to enforce against Kalshi until the Fourth Circuit rules.
So nothing is in force against Kalshi today. Here is who offers what, and where the risks sit.
Which prediction market apps work in Maryland
Most apps we rank accept Maryland residents. Sports are where they split.
Kalshi still lists sports here, under the state's promise to wait for its appeal. Gemini, Coinbase, ProphetX, Novig and Underdog list them too.
Robinhood, Webull and OG have closed sports contracts to Maryland residents. DraftKings and FanDuel run licensed sportsbooks here, so their apps skip sports.
Fanatics Markets does not operate in Maryland. PrizePicks offers culture contracts here but no sports.
Polymarket US is disputed. Some lists call its Maryland sports blocked, but Polymarket names only Nevada as closed. See whether Polymarket is legal in Maryland.
The table lists each app in our ranking order, with its status here and a link to our review.
| App | Status in Maryland | More |
|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | Contested for sports contracts, with no restriction in force | Is Kalshi legal in Maryland? |
| Gemini Predictions | Available, sports included | Gemini Predictions review |
| Polymarket US | Contested for sports contracts, with no restriction in force | Is Polymarket legal in Maryland? |
| OG | Available, but not for sports contracts | OG review |
| Interactive Brokers | Available; it lists no sports contracts anywhere | Interactive Brokers review |
| Robinhood | Not available for sports contracts | Robinhood review |
| ProphetX | Available, sports included | ProphetX review |
| Coinbase | Available, sports included | Coinbase review |
| Webull | Available, but not for sports contracts | 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 Ravens are 60¢ to win Sunday 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 Maryland has said about prediction markets
Maryland spoke early and in writing. On April 7, 2025, the Lottery and Gaming Control Commission sent three cease-and-desist letters.
They went to Kalshi, Robinhood and Crypto.com's exchange. Each was told to stop offering sports contracts in Maryland within 15 days.
The Kalshi letter, signed by John A. Martin, demanded it “immediately cease and desist offering in Maryland” its sports contracts.
Then the state paused. On August 12, 2025, its lawyers promised in writing to forgo enforcement against Kalshi until the appeal ends.
Baltimore has not paused. Suing in August 2026, Mayor Brandon M. Scott did not mince words.
“These companies are running sportsbooks without licenses and betting that a new label will put them above the law.”
The court cases that shape Maryland's rules
Kalshi's case matters most. It sued Maryland's gaming officials on April 21, 2025, in KalshiEX LLC v. Martin, No. 1:25-cv-01283.
On August 1, 2025, Judge Adam B. Abelson refused to block the state. If Kalshi got a Maryland license, he wrote, “those laws would not pose an obstacle.”
Kalshi appealed, No. 25-1892. The Fourth Circuit heard it on May 7, 2026, and has not ruled.
It would be the fourth federal appeals court to decide. The Third sided with Kalshi; the Ninth and Sixth ruled against it.
Crypto.com's exchange sued Maryland the same day as Kalshi. Its case is paused until the Fourth Circuit rules.
Baltimore filed two suits on August 13, 2026. One names Kalshi, Robinhood, Webull and Coinbase; the other names Polymarket. Both are now in federal court.
Polymarket and Kalshi both say federal law, not city or state law, governs their contracts.
Our page on whether Kalshi is legal in Maryland covers Kalshi's case in full.
What Marylanders can trade
Sports lead where they are open. Markets cover the Ravens, Orioles, Terrapins and Navy, plus the Commanders, who still play in Landover.
Politics is close behind. Governor Wes Moore faces Republican Dan Cox on November 3, 2026, and Kalshi lists the race.
That category draws scrutiny too. In July 2026, Maryland's top election official asked the State Prosecutor to investigate prediction markets, Maryland Matters reported.
Economics, crypto and weather markets round it out. None of them is part of any Maryland order.
The risks for Maryland traders
The law could shift quickly. If the Fourth Circuit rules for Maryland, the state's promise to wait ends, and sports contracts could close.
Baltimore wants more than sports. Its suits ask courts to bar the apps from taking any trades from city residents.
You can lose everything you put into a contract. A 90¢ favorite that loses pays nothing.
Taxes are unclear. Maryland taxes income at 2% to 6.5%, plus county tax, but how the IRS treats event contracts is not settled.
Trade only what you can afford to lose. Our responsible trading guide covers limits and where to get help.
What could change for Maryland traders
Three things could. The Fourth Circuit's ruling comes first, and no date is set.
Baltimore's suits could come next. They seek penalties of up to $1,000 per violation, per day, plus restitution for city residents.
Or the Supreme Court could settle it. New Jersey has asked it to, after the circuits split. A ruling there would apply in every state.
Our litigation tracker follows each of these cases.
Maryland prediction market timeline
Every change to prediction markets' standing in Maryland, newest first. Each entry links the ruling or filing behind it.
Prediction markets vs sports betting in Maryland
Maryland voters approved sports betting on November 3, 2020, with 67.1% voting yes on Question 2.
Retail sportsbooks opened in December 2021, and mobile apps followed on November 23, 2022. Twelve online sportsbooks held licenses as of January 2026.
They pay 20% of mobile revenue in tax, up from 15% since June 1, 2025. Bettors must be 21.
Prediction markets pay no state gaming tax and take traders from 18. You trade against other people, not a sportsbook's odds.
The CFTC supervises the exchange, not the Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. If a dispute comes up, complain to the app first, then to the CFTC.
How to choose a prediction market app in Maryland
Start with what you want to trade. For sports, check each app's Maryland status first, because several have closed them here.
For politics and the economy, Polymarket US and Kalshi list the widest range. Then compare fees: 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 Maryland first. It covers the Fourth Circuit appeal.