- The Ohio Casino Control Commission ordered 10 prediction markets to stop offering their sports event contracts in the state.
- The cease-and-desist letters claim the operators offer unlicensed sports betting in Ohio.
- Underdog, Polymarket, and Novig are among the most notable operators to receive letters.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) issued cease-and-desist letters to 10 prediction market operators, ordering them to stop offering sports event contracts by Oct. 16. The OCC claims these operators violate Ohio law by providing unlicensed sports betting.
The OCCC ordered the following 10 prediction market operators to stop offering sports event contracts:
- Underdog
- Gemini Titan
- Coinbase
- Prophet X
- Novig
- Robinhood
- Polymarket
- Plus500
- Moomoo
- Webull
Where’s Kalshi?
Underdog, Novig, and Polymarket headline a pack of prediction market operators that must stop “operating online sports gaming” via their sports event contracts by Oct. 16. One notable omission is Kalshi, who sparked the orders after the Sixth circuit ruled against Kalshi and rejected their claim that their sports event contracts can only be federally regulated through the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Kalshi was the first operator to receive a cease-and-desist letter from the OCCC back in 2025, and are engaged in separate litigation. All of the prediction market operators that received letters got the same block statement that reads:
Because Underdog is offering unlicensed sports gaming and bookmaking or facilitating bookmaking in Ohio, the Commission demands that Underdog cease and desist from offering, participating in offering, or facilitating those who offer sports event contracts in Ohio. This includes soliciting or accepting orders for sports event contracts listed on DCMs from persons located in Ohio, as well as operating an FCM or DCM that offers sports event contracts to persons located in Ohio. Underdog shall notify the Commission in writing no later than fourteen (14) days following the date of this letter that it has complied with this cease-and-desist notice.
The letters say that the OCCC can impose a civil penalty or fine for an amount equal to the money or value of the property that the prediction market operator has unlawfully obtained or retained by offering these event contracts on sporting events to persons located in Ohio. The letters also claim that it is a felony to offer unlicensed sports betting in the state, exposing them to civil and criminal penalties.
