Judge orders Kalshi, Polymarket, others to halt event contracts in Louisiana, AG Liz Murrill says

A Tangipahoa Parish judge has ordered prominent websites like Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood and others to stop offering prediction market contracts in Louisiana, Attorney General Liz Murrill said Thursday night.

According to a copy of a temporary restraining order signed by Judge Jeffrey Johnson that Murrill posted Thursday evening to the social media platform X, the companies may not facilitate the "event contracts" on behalf of any person located in the state of Louisiana.

Court records were not immediately available Thursday evening.

Earlier in the day, Murrill's office filed a lawsuit against the companies that argued they violate gambling laws. Murrill argues that "event contracts" are the same as wagers and need to be regulated by the state.

Kalshi and Polymarket did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The companies have argued that their event contracts are financial products, not gambling, which means they are subject to federal regulations, not state rules.

"The operation of federally-regulated exchanges is the exclusive province of the federal government. Full stop," wrote Jovy Dedaj, Kalshi's head of litigation, in an X post Thursday before the judge's order was made public.

In response to the judge granting the halt, Murrill said on X that prediction markets are gambling, and companies cannot "make up new words" to evade state gambling laws.

"It's not complicated: if you aren't a licensed gaming operator, you aren't legal," Murrill said. "Illegal gambling is a crime and is subject to jail time and significant penalties. Judges all over the country have overwhelmingly called this activity what it is: gambling."

As of 7 p.m. Thursday, Kalshi users in Louisiana could still buy into an "event contract" on the platform.

A hearing over Murrill's preliminary injunction is set for Nov. 30.

Murrill's lawsuit comes after Kalshi sued the attorney general and other Louisiana officials in federal court two weeks ago, arguing that the state has no authority to regulate its gambling service. In that federal case, Kalshi sought its own restraining order against Murrill and others in a filing Thursday, but a judge has not yet ruled on that matter.

"People benefit from free and fair markets," Dedaj said. "From Wall Street to New Orleans, Kalshi has been hit with anticompetitive litigation designed to take that choice away from them."

More than a dozen states have taken legal action against Kalshi, Polymarket and other prediction market companies.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown sued Kalshi in March, arguing that the company was in violation of the state's gambling and consumer protection laws.

Utah officials made similar arguments in their own civil lawsuit against Kalshi but also filed 14 criminal charges against the betting platform and its leadership, following an undercover investigation by Utah Attorney General Derek Brown's office.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.