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Kalshi has switched off its prediction markets on the reservations of three California tribes. The company told a federal judge on Thursday, September 24, that it had put geofencing in place around the tribes’ lands. It is the first time Kalshi has voluntarily blocked access to tribal land.
The move follows a September 16 ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that revived the tribes’ request for a preliminary injunction. The appeals court found that the tribes are likely to win their claims under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. It also held that Kalshi’s sports contracts count as Class III gaming and that federal commodities law does not override tribal authority over gambling on tribal land.
How the case got here
Blue Lake Rancheria, Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians and Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians sued Kalshi and Robinhood in July 2025. They argued that sports event contracts amount to unauthorized gambling on their lands. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley denied their injunction request in November 2025. The Ninth Circuit partly reversed that decision and sent the case back to her to weigh the remaining factors, including irreparable harm.
At Thursday’s hearing, the tribes’ attorney argued that geofencing alone does not undo the harm to their sovereignty and gaming rights.
What it means for California users
Kalshi still accepts users elsewhere in California, where sports betting remains illegal and prediction markets are among the few alternatives. Those contracts face mounting pressure in the state. Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined several multistate court filings against Kalshi.
The fight is also national. In August, the Ninth Circuit let Nevada regulators treat Kalshi’s sports contracts as gambling, which conflicts with a Third Circuit ruling in Kalshi’s favor against New Jersey. New Jersey has since asked the U.S. Supreme Court to settle the question.
For the latest on the state’s legal landscape, see our guide to California sports betting, or compare platforms in our prediction markets hub.
Photo by Leo_Visions on Unsplash
