Three California Tribes Challenge Kalshi Sports Markets at Ninth Circuit on July 10; 27 States File Support

According to Bitcoin.com News, on July 10, three California tribes—Blue Lake Rancheria, Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, and Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians—challenged the prediction market Kalshi's sports market offerings on tribal lands before the Ninth Circuit. The tribes argued that Kalshi's contracts violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) by operating unauthorized Class III gaming without appearing in tribal gaming compacts. The appeal follows a lower-court decision in November denying a preliminary injunction against Kalshi and its distribution partner Robinhood.

Twenty-seven states and Washington, D.C., filed an amicus brief supporting the tribes, arguing that Kalshi's CFTC-registered exchange status should not allow it to bypass tribal authority over gaming conducted from their lands.