CFTC sues Arkansas to stop state’s Kalshi crackdown
Arkansas attorney general Griffin is separately suing Kalshi in state court.
The hit
The CFTC & DOJ have sued Arkansas, seeking to stop the state enforcing its gambling laws against Kalshi & similar federally regulated exchanges. The agencies argue the Commodity Exchange Act gives the CFTC exclusive jurisdiction over the event contracts Arkansas is targeting. Kalshi itself is not a defendant in the federal case.
Why it matters
The federal suit is about who regulates, not whether Kalshi broke state law. That follows Arkansas attorney general Griffin’s own state suit accusing Kalshi of running an illegal gambling platform.
The record
| Federal suit filed | Thursday, US District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas (DOJ & CFTC) |
|---|---|
| State suit against Kalshi | Filed Nov 4 in Independence County Circuit Court by Griffin, seeking restitution, civil penalties, unpaid taxes & an injunction |
| Louisiana lawsuit | Filed Thursday by attorney general Murrill, naming 10 platforms incl. Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, Coinbase |
| Tribal lands ruling | Federal judge granted a preliminary injunction last week barring Kalshi sports-event contracts on Blue Lake Rancheria & Chicken Ranch Rancheria land; Kalshi says it had already withdrawn from those lands voluntarily in September |
What happens next
Watch the Eastern District of Arkansas docket for a ruling on the CFTC’s injunction request.
Sources: CFTC sues Arkansas to stop Kalshi case as prediction markets fight spreads across South
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