State v. operator
State of Arizona v. Kalshi (criminal prosecution)
Arizona state court (not identified in sources reviewed)
Charged
Charges filed in March 2026; the federal TRO (April 10, 2026) and preliminary injunction (May 5, 2026) bar Arizona from pursuing the prosecution. Arizona Mirror reported in late September that the Attorney General is seeking to revive it.
The question
Whether Arizona may criminally prosecute a CFTC-registered exchange under state gambling law for offering event contracts.
Arizona brought 20 misdemeanor counts against Kalshi, alleging an unlicensed wagering business and bets on Arizona elections. A federal court, acting on the United States and CFTC's suit, blocked the prosecution.
Public records for this case are thin. Treat this page as provisional.
Docket timeline
Federal preliminary injunction continues the bar.
Source: azmirror.com
Federal TRO bars Arizona from pursuing criminal charges against CFTC-regulated exchanges.
Source: cftc.gov
Indictment disclosed in Kalshi's federal case.
Source: dockets.justia.com
Sources
- Arizona Mirror: criminal case against Kalshi blocked by federal judge (2026-05-05)
- Justia docket: KalshiEX v. Johnson, D. Ariz. 2:26-cv-01715
- CFTC release 9211-26: TRO blocks Arizona criminal enforcement (2026-04-10)
- DLA Piper alert: Legal status at odds (Sept. 2026)
- Wikipedia: Kalshi (secondary; used only for flagged items)