Is Polymarket legal in Washington state? Where the law, the courts and the apps stand in October 2026
Washington is one of the hardest states for prediction markets. Its Gambling Commission says even taking part in event-contract markets is not authorized, a court has forced Kalshi to block most markets, and Polymarket’s global site is closed to all US users. What that means for Polymarket US, what Washingtonians can still do, and why a VPN is a bad idea.
In this article
- Polymarket in Washington at a glance
- Why Washington is so strict
- How Washington shut down Kalshi
- What about Polymarket US?
- Is Polymarket's global site legal in Washington?
- The federal fight that will decide it
- Other platforms in Washington
- Can you use a VPN?
- What Washingtonians can still do
- Polymarket and the US: a short timeline
- Key terms
- How Washington compares with other states
- Frequently asked questions
- Related reading
For most purposes, no. Washington treats event-contract markets as gambling. Its Gambling Commission said in December 2025 that "offering events-based contracts or participating in these markets is not authorized in Washington State," and a King County court has since forced Kalshi to block sports, election and other event contracts for Washington users. Polymarket's global site is not open to anyone in the US. Polymarket US, the CFTC-regulated app, faces the same state law, and recent state trackers list Washington as restricted.
As of 30 October 2026. Polymarket US does not publish an official list of restricted states; the app's location check decides what you can use.
Polymarket in Washington at a glance
| Status in Washington | |
|---|---|
| Polymarket global (Polymarket.com) | Not available: closed to US residents in every state |
| Polymarket US (the CFTC-regulated app) | Restricted, according to recent state trackers; the app's location check decides |
| Kalshi | Most event contracts blocked under a court order since September 2026 |
| State regulator's position | Event contracts, and taking part in them, are "not authorized" |
| Sports betting | Only in person at tribal casinos |
Why Washington is so strict
Washington has some of the toughest gambling laws in the country. Sports betting is legal only in person at tribal casinos; there is no legal online sportsbook. State law treats online gambling harshly, and the Washington State Gambling Commission went further than most regulators by saying that even participating in event-contract markets is not authorized, not just offering them.
That matters for prediction markets because they argue they are not gambling at all, but financial exchanges regulated by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Washington rejects that argument, and so far its courts have agreed.
How Washington shut down Kalshi
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| December 2025 | The Gambling Commission issues its notice that event-based contracts are not authorized |
| March 2026 | Attorney General Nick Brown sues Kalshi |
| 20 July 2026 | King County Superior Court Judge John McHale finds Kalshi likely violates state gambling law |
| 13 August 2026 | The judge orders Kalshi to restrict access by 2 September, with possible fines of $120,000 a day |
| September 2026 | Kalshi begins blocking sports, election and other event contracts in Washington |
Kalshi and Polymarket both asked the Ninth Circuit for emergency relief from state crackdowns and were turned down, according to CBS Sports, which said that had "temporarily cleared" the way for enforcement in Washington and Nevada. Fox Sports, in its October state guide, lists Washington as restricted, meaning "a court order currently blocks or limits access, most often to sports event contracts." The full Kalshi story is in is Kalshi legal in Washington.
What about Polymarket US?
Polymarket US is a separate company from the global site. It describes itself as "a fiat-based, US-regulated platform operating as a designated contract market (DCM) and derivatives clearing organization (DCO) under CFTC oversight." It launched in December 2025, works in US dollars and requires identity verification (how to use Polymarket in the US).
Being federally regulated does not protect it from Washington's position, which applies to all event-contract markets. Polymarket US has not published a list of states where it is unavailable, and third-party trackers disagree: older guides listed it as available in Washington, while Fox Sports' October guide says Polymarket US "follows a broadly similar state footprint" to Kalshi and lists Washington as restricted.
In practice:
- Open the app in Washington. Its location check will show what, if anything, you can trade.
- Expect sports contracts to be off limits while the court orders against Kalshi stand.
- Expect changes. Availability follows the courts, and the federal appeals courts are split on whether sports event contracts can be regulated by states.
Is Polymarket's global site legal in Washington?
No, and not anywhere else in the US. Polymarket.com, the crypto-based global site, does not accept US residents. That has been the case since its 2022 settlement with the CFTC, when it paid a $1.4 million civil penalty for offering unregistered markets to Americans. For US users the global site is close-only.
The federal fight that will decide it
Washington's position depends on a legal question that is still open: are sports and other event contracts swaps regulated only by the CFTC, or gambling that states can ban?
- The courts are split. A divided Third Circuit panel found that Kalshi's sports event contracts fit the federal definition of a swap. The Ninth Circuit, which covers Washington, in August, and the Sixth Circuit in September reached the opposite result.
- The states are united. In July, 44 state attorneys general told the CFTC it has no authority over sports-related event contracts.
- The CFTC is pushing back. In October it proposed formally defining event contracts on sports, politics, culture and weather as swaps, with an interim rule that excludes casino-style gambling such as sportsbooks. Its chairman, Michael Selig, argued that "casino-style gambling products are not derivatives."
The split between circuits makes a Supreme Court case more likely. A ruling for the exchanges would not automatically reopen Washington, but it would undercut the state's main legal argument. Until then, Washington's courts and its Gambling Commission set the rules for people in the state. Our report on the CFTC's swap proposal has the details.
Other platforms in Washington
Washington's position is not aimed only at Kalshi. Underdog, the fantasy sports company that runs a prediction product, sued Washington and four other states in September 2026 to stop enforcement against its markets (Underdog Predictions). Sportsbook-run prediction apps face the same state law. So do newer entrants: any app that offers event contracts to people in Washington has to reckon with the Gambling Commission's notice and the court orders that followed it.
Can you use a VPN?
You should not. Both Polymarket's terms and Polymarket US's rules forbid getting around location restrictions, and the platforms check where orders come from. Accounts tied to a restricted location can be limited to closing positions or frozen, which can lock up your money. In Washington the court order against Kalshi was aimed at exactly this kind of workaround, requiring IP, residency and location checks. You would also lose the protections of a regulated exchange.
What Washingtonians can still do
- Follow the odds. Watching prices is not trading. Our 2026 election hub and live markets page show Polymarket and Kalshi prices side by side.
- Use forecasting platforms that do not use real money, such as Manifold Markets and Metaculus.
- Check the rules if you travel. The apps check your location when you trade, but eligibility rules also depend on residency; read each platform's terms before trading from another state.
- Keep an eye on the courts. The Ninth Circuit and, possibly, the Supreme Court will decide whether states can block federally regulated event contracts.
Polymarket and the US: a short timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Shayne Coplan founds Polymarket |
| January 2022 | Polymarket pays a $1.4 million CFTC penalty and blocks US users from its global site |
| December 2025 | Polymarket US launches as a CFTC-regulated exchange |
| December 2025 | Washington's Gambling Commission says event contracts are not authorized in the state |
| September 2026 | Kalshi begins blocking most markets in Washington under a court order |
| October 2026 | Fox Sports lists Washington as restricted for prediction market apps |
Key terms
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Event contract | A contract that pays $1 if an event happens and $0 if it does not |
| DCM | Designated contract market: an exchange registered with the CFTC |
| DCO | Derivatives clearing organization: the clearinghouse that guarantees trades |
| Geolocation | The location check apps use to decide which markets you can trade |
| Close-only | An account that can sell existing positions but not open new ones |
How Washington compares with other states
| State | Polymarket US / Kalshi status (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Washington | Restricted under state action and court orders |
| Nevada | Restricted; a preliminary injunction blocks Polymarket, per CBS Sports |
| Michigan | Restricted for some contracts |
| Massachusetts | Restricted for sports contracts |
| California, Texas, New York | Listed as available by Fox Sports, with legal challenges in some states |
Based on Fox Sports' and CBS Sports' state trackers, October 2026, which disagree on some states. For the full picture, see where Polymarket is legal and is Polymarket legal in the US.
Frequently asked questions
Is Polymarket legal in Washington state?
Polymarket's global site is not available to anyone in the US, and Washington says event-contract markets are not authorized. Polymarket US is listed as restricted by recent trackers; its location check decides.
Is Kalshi legal in Washington?
Most of its markets are blocked under a court order since September 2026.
Can I get in trouble for using Polymarket in Washington?
The state's Gambling Commission says participating in event-contract markets is not authorized. Using a VPN to get around the platforms' location checks breaks their terms and can get your account frozen.
Is sports betting legal in Washington?
Only in person at tribal casinos.
Does Polymarket US check my location?
Yes. Regulated prediction market apps use location checks to decide which markets you can trade where you are.
Can I still follow Polymarket odds in Washington?
Yes. Watching prices is not trading; comparison sites, including ours, show the odds.
Will Polymarket become legal in Washington?
It depends on the courts and the CFTC. The CFTC has proposed rules that would confirm its jurisdiction over event contracts (our report), but states are fighting that.
Related reading
- Is Kalshi legal in Washington?
- Where is Polymarket legal?
- Is Polymarket legal in the US?
- How to use Polymarket in the US
- Legal sports betting states
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and court orders change; check the platform and a lawyer if you need certainty.
