Regulation· ★★★· bearish·

US appeals court revives tribes' lawsuit against Kalshi sports contracts

  • The Ninth Circuit found that Kalshi's spread, totals, and parlay contracts are sports bets
  • The court rejected the argument that transactions are not on tribal lands, since the bet is placed where the customer is located
  • The ruling relies on the August KalshiEX v. Assad case under Nevada law
  • The Ninth Circuit's position conflicts with the Third Circuit's ruling in favor of Kalshi in New Jersey
Why it matters: The split between appellate courts increases the chances of the issue reaching the US Supreme Court and creates legal uncertainty for prediction markets.
Source: DeFi Rate