Is Kalshi legal in Montana? Available, under a truce. Montana’s gambling regulators sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter in April 2026, Kalshi sued, and in September the two sides agreed to drop the case: regulators won’t take enforcement action until the federal appeals court covering Montana finishes reviewing a related Nevada case. This guide sets out where things stand, as of October 28, 2026.
At a glance
| Platform | Montana status (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Kalshi | Available; state regulators have agreed not to enforce for now |
| Prediction markets generally | Sports markets available through the major operators, as of October 27, 2026 |
| Novig | Not on Novig’s list of blocked states |
What’s happened
- In April 2025 Montana’s Gambling Control Division agreed not to take enforcement action against Kalshi while Kalshi’s litigation with Nevada was pending.
- On April 6, 2026 the division sent Kalshi a new cease-and-desist letter. Kalshi sued Attorney General Austin Knudsen and state gaming officials in federal court, saying the letter broke the 2025 agreement and that federal law preempts the state’s gambling laws.
- In September 2026 the parties jointly asked the court to dismiss the case. Kalshi dropped its claims, and the state’s gambling regulators agreed not to bring or refer any civil or criminal enforcement action over Kalshi’s event contracts until the later of two things: a final denial of Kalshi’s request for further review in the Nevada case, or an en banc decision from the Ninth Circuit. The attorney general kept his own authority to act.
- That Nevada case is the one where a Ninth Circuit panel ruled against Kalshi in August 2026; Kalshi has asked the full court to rehear it. See Nevada.
Sources, checked October 28, 2026:
- SportsBettingDime: Kalshi sues Montana after a second cease-and-desist (Apr 13, 2026, updated Sep 18, 2026)
- DeFi Rate: Kalshi settles its Montana lawsuit, with allowance for the Ninth Circuit (Sep 18, 2026)
- CBS Sports: prediction market legal states (Oct 27, 2026)
- Novig developer docs: access and blocked states (checked Oct 28, 2026)
Why it matters
Montana’s truce is tied directly to the Ninth Circuit. If the full court declines to rehear the Nevada case, or rehears it and rules against Kalshi, Montana’s regulators would be free to act again. Arizona, also in the Ninth Circuit, is already asking that court to lift the order protecting Kalshi; see Arizona. The national picture is in Is Kalshi legal?
FAQ
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Related: Is Kalshi legal? · Nevada · All legal guides