Crypto: Report: Prediction markets legal battles heat up in Minnesota, Rhode Island
Kalshi sued Minnesota while the CFTC filed against Rhode Island as legal wrangling with state-level authorities seems likely headed to the US Supreme Court. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and companies behind prediction market platforms are continuing legal fights against state-level authorities, with the latest battlegrounds centered in Rhode Island and Minnesota. Last week, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a bill into law amending statutes to prohibit advertising, creating, operating or otherwise facilitating prediction market platforms. The move prompted CFTC Chair Michael Selig to file in federal court less than 24 hours later, alleging Minnesota and its officials had enacted the “first outright ban” on prediction markets. That set up a move by Kalshi on Wednesday challenging the Minnesota law on constitutional grounds. The company echoed arguments made by Selig, claiming that the CFTC had “exclusive authority” over prediction markets under the Commodity Exchange Act and under the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution, the federal law took precedence over state laws. Central to Kalshi’s and Selig’s claims is that event contracts on prediction market platforms are “swaps” traded on federally designated contract markets and subject to the CFTC’s jurisdiction rather than state authorities. Although some courts have rejected this argument, others have sided with Kalshi and the CFTC, setting up a potential case for the US Supreme Court. Related: After Kalshi appeal, prediction markets fight could head to US Supreme Court On Thursday, the CFTC announced a joint filing with Kalshi against Rhode Island officials. The motion to intervene reiterated the agency’s previous claims on its authority over prediction markets, stemming from Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha suing Kalshi and Polymarket and asking for a declaration that the platforms’ sports-related “event contracts” amounted to bets. Event contract on when a prediction mark
Source: CoinTelegraph