Vardan KhachatryanPrediction markets in Washington
13 of the 15 apps we rank are open here, and 7 offer sports contracts.
- Apps restricted or contested
- Kalshi, Robinhood, Coinbase, Webull, DraftKings Predictions, Fanatics Markets, FanDuel Predicts, PrizePicks
- Rulings and actions in Washington
- 5 on record, listed in the timeline
- Legal sports betting
- In person at tribal casinos, since 2021
- Minimum age
- 18 on most apps, 21 on Novig and Interactive Brokers
- Federal appeals court
- Ninth Circuit: ruled against Kalshi on August 28, 2026
- Last change
- September 17, 2026
Each entry on this page links the ruling or report it rests on. Nothing here is legal advice.
Why prediction markets are contested in Washington
Washington has some of the strictest gambling laws in the country. Online betting is illegal, and sportsbooks exist only inside tribal casinos.
In December 2025, the state Gambling Commission said event contracts are not authorized here. Prediction market apps say federal law lets them operate anyway.
The state took that claim to court against one company. In August 2026, a King County judge ordered Kalshi out of most of its markets.
Everyone else is still here, for now. Kalshi is shut out of most markets; its rivals are not.
Which prediction market apps work in Washington
Most apps we rank still accept Washington traders. Kalshi is the exception: it is limited to commodities, climate, economics and finance.
Apps that route orders to Kalshi inherit that order. Coinbase and Webull are in that group.
Two apps skip the state. PrizePicks offers no event contracts in Washington, and Fanatics Markets dropped it from its list. The table cannot show that, so it lists them as available without sports.
DraftKings and FanDuel offer financial markets only. Robinhood, OG, Polymarket US, Novig, Underdog, ProphetX and Gemini still list sports here.
The table lists each app in our ranking order, with its status here and a link to our review.
| App | Status in Washington | More |
|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | Not available for sports, election, politics, entertainment, culture, tech, science and mention contracts | Is Kalshi legal in Washington? |
| Gemini Predictions | Available, sports included | Gemini Predictions review |
| Polymarket US | Available, sports included | Polymarket review |
| OG | Available, sports included | OG review |
| Interactive Brokers | Available; it lists no sports contracts anywhere | Interactive Brokers review |
| Robinhood | Contested for all event contracts, with no restriction in force | Robinhood review |
| ProphetX | Available, sports included | ProphetX review |
| Coinbase | Available, but not for sports contracts | 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 | Not available | PrizePicks review |
| Underdog Predict | Available, sports included | Underdog Predict review |
Is Polymarket legal in Washington?
Polymarket US operates in Washington, and the state has not sued it. That is a choice, not a clearance.
The attorney general's office says its Kalshi case is “not a comment one way or the other” on other platforms.
Kalshi thinks the gap is unfair. Its lawyers singled out the state's “non-enforcement against Polymarket” in an August letter to the Gambling Commission.
The Gambling Commission's December 2025 notice covers event contracts in general, not only Kalshi's. The international site, polymarket.com, is close-only for Americans.
Our Polymarket review covers its fees, payouts and how the US app works.
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 Seahawks are 60¢ to win on 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.
Kalshi can no longer take that trade in Washington, though several other apps still list it. New to this? Start with what prediction markets are.
What Washington has said about prediction markets
The Gambling Commission moved first, with its December 2025 notice. Attorney General Nick Brown followed with a lawsuit in March 2026.
Brown did not soften it. At a March press conference, he called Kalshi “just a bookie with a fancy name.”
He tied the case to state history too. Washington has regulated gambling since statehood in 1889, his office notes, and banned internet gambling outright in 2006.
On everyone else, the state is careful. It need not sue every company at once, a spokesperson said: “Kalshi is the largest entity of its kind.”
The court cases that shape Washington's rules
Four cases matter. The first is the state's own: Washington v. KalshiEX, in King County Superior Court.
Judge John McHale found Kalshi likely broke state law in July. His August order bars sports, elections, politics, entertainment, culture, tech, science and mentions.
The other three were filed by apps against the state, in federal court in Washington. Robinhood sued on March 30, 2026, and OG on July 22.
Both cases are paused under court-approved deals. Washington agreed not to enforce against either until the Ninth Circuit's Nevada appeals are resolved.
Novig's exchange, Ludlow, sued on August 6. Our page on whether Kalshi is legal in Washington covers the Kalshi case in full.
What Washingtonians can trade
On most apps, sports lead. The Seahawks, champions of the February 2026 Super Bowl, headline a menu with the Mariners, Kraken, Sounders and Storm.
Some apps list college teams too, including the Huskies, Cougars and Gonzaga. Tribal sportsbooks still cannot take bets on in-state college teams.
A 2026 law will allow some of those bets once tribal compacts are amended.
On Kalshi, the menu is narrower: economics, finance, commodities and climate. Elections and entertainment are closed there.
Which apps list which races varies, so check before you fund an account.
The risks for Washington traders
The state could widen its fight. It calls event contracts unauthorized, and its deals with Robinhood and OG run only until the Nevada appeals end.
Kalshi's case shows the stakes. The Consumer Protection Act lets the state seek up to $7,500 per violation, and it wants losses repaid.
Location matters. Apps check where you are, so a trip across the state line changes what you can trade.
You can lose everything you put into a contract. A 90¢ favorite that loses pays nothing.
Trade only what you can afford to lose. Our responsible trading guide covers limits and where to get help.
What could change for Washington traders
Three things could. The first is the Ninth Circuit. When its Nevada cases end, Washington and the apps it paused must report back to court.
The second is Kalshi's challenge. It asked Judge McHale to reconsider, citing the OG deal, and has an appeal pending in state court.
The third is the Supreme Court, which New Jersey has asked to settle the circuit split. A ruling there would reach Washington too.
Our litigation tracker follows each of these cases.
Washington prediction market timeline
Every change to prediction markets' standing in Washington, newest first. Each entry links the ruling, filing or report behind it.
Prediction markets vs sports betting in Washington
Washington legalized sports betting in March 2020, but only at tribal casinos with amended compacts. Betting began in September 2021.
Casino apps work only on the premises. A required geofence keeps each mobile bet inside the casino.
Prediction markets offered what the tribes cannot: sports trading from anywhere in the state. That is why the fight here is so sharp.
The oversight differs too. The Gambling Commission and tribal regulators oversee tribal sportsbooks. The CFTC regulates the exchanges, and the state says that is not enough.
How to choose a prediction market app in Washington
Start with the legal picture. Kalshi's financial markets are open under a court order that spells out exactly what is allowed.
For sports, the apps still listing them carry more risk. The state has not ruled them legal, only held off.
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 criteria.
If you use Kalshi, read whether Kalshi is legal in Washington first. It covers what the order allows.