Massachusetts v. Kalshi: New Court Ruling Favors States in Prediction Market Litigation

By Bowen Yu, Florida State University Introduction On January 20, 2026, the Massachusetts Superior Court issued an important order in the case of Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. KalshiEX, LLC. In this case, the Plaintiff is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Defendant is KalshiEX, LLC (“Kalshi”)[5]. Judge Christopher K. Barry-Smith granted the state’s request for a preliminary injunction against Kalshi. Kalshi operates a prediction market accessible via its mobile app and third-pa