Edited release
05/05/26
Attorney General Brenna Bird announced Monday she has joined a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general to urge federal regulators to rule that states should have jurisdiction over sports-related “event contracts.”
The coalition filed a formal comment with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), arguing that prediction markets – platforms where users trade contracts on the outcome of future events – have effectively become unregulated sportsbooks.
The platforms, including Polymarket and Kalshi, allow users to place wagers on game winners, point spreads and player statistics, bypassing the consumer protections and tax requirements mandated by state gambling laws.
The states urge the commission to confirm through rulemaking that it lacks jurisdiction over sports-related contracts, ensuring that the power to regulate or prohibit sports gambling remains with states.
Attorney General Bird and the coalition also caution that sports gambling poses serious risks to public health and financial security, with millions of Americans qualifying as problematic or pathological gamblers.
A copy of the letter sent to the CFTC, led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, is available with this story on the KCJJ app and at 1630 KCJJ dot com.