Is Polymarket legal in Illinois? Kalshi, Polymarket and Robinhood status in Illinois (2026)
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Informational only, not legal advice. Court orders in this area change month to month. Check the app before you deposit.
Polymarket US does not accept Illinois residents. Kalshi does, and on October 2, 2026 a federal judge in Chicago barred Illinois from applying its sports-wagering licence rules to Kalshi's contracts, though one part of the case is still open. Robinhood lists no Illinois-specific restriction. FanDuel Predicts and DraftKings Predictions offer only a narrow menu here, because both companies run licensed sportsbooks in the state.
An earlier version of this page said Polymarket was available in Illinois. That was wrong, and it has been corrected.
Status as of October 2026
| Platform | Status in Illinois | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | Available, including sports | Partial injunction for Kalshi granted Oct 2, 2026; per-wager fee question still open | OddsShopper tracker, Oct 15, 2026 |
| Polymarket US | Not available | Illinois is on the most widely reported list of blocked states (AZ, IL, MA, MD, MI, MT, NV, OH) | OddsShopper, Jul 2026 |
| Robinhood prediction markets | Available | Robinhood's restriction list names Maryland, Nevada and Michigan, not Illinois | Robinhood support, Oct 2026 |
| DraftKings Predictions | Financial markets only | Illinois is one of 13 states limited to financial contracts | SI, Oct 16, 2026 |
| FanDuel Predicts | Non-sports only | Sports contracts run in 18 states; Illinois is not one | RotoWire, Sep 30, 2026 |
| Novig | Available (21+) | CFTC exchange since June 16, 2026; check the app for your state | Action Network, Oct 8, 2026 |
| OG (Crypto.com) | Check in app | Sports contracts reported restricted in Illinois | Bettors Insider |
| PredictIt | Available | Per-market cap is $3,500 since July 2025 | CFTC Letter 25-20 |
Kalshi in Illinois
A federal case in Illinois asks whether the state can treat Kalshi's sports contracts as unlicensed sports betting. On October 2, 2026, the court granted the motions to block the state in part. Illinois may not apply its sports-wagering licensing requirements or the related criminal provisions to Kalshi's contracts. Whether the state can charge per-wager fees is still under review, and a proposed order was due October 29, according to OddsShopper's Kalshi legal tracker (updated October 15, 2026).
In practice, Illinois residents can trade Kalshi's full menu: politics, economics, weather, culture and sports, including Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks and Big Ten contracts. The ruling is a preliminary injunction, not a final judgment, so it can still change on appeal.
Elsewhere the picture is less friendly to Kalshi. The Ninth Circuit (Nevada, August 28) and the Sixth Circuit (Ohio and Tennessee, September 25) ruled against it on sports. Illinois sits in the Seventh Circuit, where the CFTC lost a related request in Wisconsin on July 29 and has appealed.
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Kalshi pays a variable 3.50% APY on cash balances of $250 or more, per its help center (October 2026).
Polymarket US in Illinois
Polymarket's US app, which runs on the CFTC-regulated exchange it bought in July 2025 (QCX), does not onboard Illinois residents. Illinois appears on every version of the restricted list we found: Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada and Ohio. One guide adds New Jersey. The sign-up screen is the final word, because it asks for your state and stops you if it is not eligible.
Polymarket's international site is also closed to US users. Using a VPN to reach either product breaks Polymarket's terms and can get an account frozen. We do not recommend it.
Robinhood in Illinois
Robinhood offers prediction markets through Robinhood Derivatives, which routes contracts to KalshiEX, ForecastEx, Rothera (its joint-venture exchange with Susquehanna) or Crypto.com's North American Derivatives Exchange. Its support page lists sports restrictions for Maryland and Nevada residents and a ban on new sports positions for Michigan residents from September 9, 2026. Illinois is not on that list (Robinhood, October 2026). You must be 18 or older.
Robinhood's commission is capped at $0.01 per contract, with exchange fees of up to $0.01 per contract on top.
FanDuel Predicts and DraftKings Predictions
Both companies list sports contracts in the same 18 states, mostly places where they do not run a licensed sportsbook. Illinois has both sportsbooks, so:
- DraftKings Predictions offers financial markets only in Illinois (SI, October 16, 2026).
- FanDuel Predicts offers non-sports contracts, which it lists in all 50 states and DC (RotoWire, September 30, 2026).
If you want sports in Illinois, the state-licensed sportsbooks (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and others) remain the regulated route. The Illinois Gaming Board licenses them.
Novig, OG and PredictIt
Novig became a CFTC-designated contract market (Ludlow Exchange) on June 16, 2026 and replaced its sweepstakes product with the regulated exchange on August 4. You must be 21. It says it covers most states, with a few exceptions, so confirm in the app (Action Network, October 8, 2026).
OG, Crypto.com's prediction app, launched on February 3, 2026. One review lists Illinois among states where its sports contracts are restricted. We could not confirm that from Crypto.com, so check the app.
PredictIt still runs political markets under CFTC no-action relief. A July 2025 CFTC letter raised the per-market limit from $850 to $3,500 and removed the 5,000-trader cap (CFTC Letter 25-20). It charges 10% of profits and 5% on withdrawals.
Taxes in Illinois
Illinois taxes income at a flat 4.95% (Illinois Department of Revenue), and trading profits count. Federal tax applies on top. Kalshi and other US exchanges send tax forms, so keep your own records too. Our event-contract tax guide covers the federal side.
How to check your own access
- Open the platform's sign-up flow. It will ask your state and block you if you are not eligible.
- On Kalshi and Robinhood, open a sports market. If it is restricted for you, the trade button will say so.
- Use your real address and do not use a VPN. Mismatched location data is the most common reason accounts get frozen.
For the national picture, read are prediction markets legal in the US?.
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