Nevada gaming regulators continue to post wins in court in their battle against sports betting prediction markets.
Judge Jason Woodbury in Carson City has ruled in favor of the Nevada Gaming Control Board in granting the Board’s motion for a preliminary injunction against operator Polymarket.
Earlier this year ahead of the Super Bowl, Woodbury issued a temporary ban against Polymarket. In April, Woodbury issued a preliminary injunction against Kalshi from offering event-based contracts that would allow the state’s residents to place bets on sports and other matters without the company obtaining a gaming license.
“We are very pleased with Judge Woodbury’s ruling and will continue to vigorously enforce Nevada law to safeguard gaming in our state,” said Gaming Control Board Chairman Mike Dreitzer in a statement.
Dreitzer has called on the industry to rally against prediction markets. He’s discussed the Board’s taking “decisive action” in recent months to halt the operations of other prediction markets in the state and restrict the operation of all unlicensed prediction markets that had been known to be operating in Nevada.
Because of previously entered preliminary injunction orders, Kalshi and Coinbase are prohibited from offering or facilitating sports-, election-, and entertainment-related event contracts in Nevada.
The Board considers the offering of sports-event contracts, along with certain other event contracts, to constitute wagering activity under state laws and requires that they be licensed by the state.
“Nevada’s public policy, as expressed by the Legislature, is that the gaming industry is vitally important to the economy of the state and the general welfare of the inhabitants and therefore must be licensed, controlled, and assisted to protect the public health, safety, morals, good order, and general welfare of the inhabitants of the state,” Dreitzer said.
