Texas bill would raise trader age to 21, ban war bets

Texas Rep. Salman Bhojani’s bill clashes with federal rules letting 18-year-olds trade.

The hit

A pre-filed Texas bill would raise the minimum prediction market trading age to 21, clashing with federal rules. H.B. 598 would also ban event contracts tied to war, executions, assassination attempts, terrorism, disease & immigration, with civil penalties for operators that breach it.

Why it matters

The age floor directly clashes with CFTC rules letting 18-year-olds trade on designated contract markets (DCMs), the kind of conflict that has already triggered lawsuits in Illinois, Kentucky & Minnesota. Operators argue federal law requires equal access nationwide. If Texas moves forward, DCMs & the CFTC could challenge it on the grounds that federal law pre-empts state regulation.

The record

Bill filer	Democrat, House Bill 598
Proposed age floor	21, up from the CFTC’s 18-year-old minimum
Banned contract topics	9 categories including war, executions, terrorism & disease
Texas House makeup	Up to 90 of 150 seats could go to Democrats, pending tallies
Senate gatekeeper	Incoming Lt. Gov. Vikki Goodwin controls which bills reach the floor

What happens next

Watch whether Bhojani’s bill clears the Texas House when the legislature reconvenes in 2027, then whether a Senate vote follows, where Republicans hold a seven-seat majority.

Sources: Texas Prediction Markets Bill Proposes Higher Age, Limits on Contracts

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