Rhode Island · Sports betting
Is sports betting legal in Rhode Island?
Where sportsbooks stand in Rhode Island, where Kalshi, Polymarket and other prediction markets stand, and why the answers differ. Built from our sourced state records.
The short answer
Yes. Online sports betting is legal in Rhode Island. State-run online and retail sports betting through the Rhode Island Lottery (Sportsbook Rhode Island) since 2019; minimum age 18.1
Prediction markets are a separate question: we found no court order or regulator action stopping Kalshi from offering sports contracts in Rhode Island, as of Oct. 22, 2026.
Sportsbooks in Rhode Island
Sports betting in Rhode Island is legal online. State-run online and retail sports betting through the Rhode Island Lottery (Sportsbook Rhode Island) since 2019; minimum age 18.1 Gaming oversight: Rhode Island Lottery.
Prediction markets in Rhode Island
Our status for Rhode Island: In litigation. The state and a prediction market operator are actively in court, and no order blocking the operator is in force. Rhode Island's lawsuit against Kalshi and Polymarket US is consolidated with Kalshi's federal suit; injunction motions argued in August are undecided.
Latest action (Other development, Aug. 3, 2026): Judge McElroy heard the preliminary-injunction motions of Kalshi, Polymarket US and the CFTC and took them under advisement; no ruling had been reported as of October 21, 2026.2
We track 2 lawsuits involving Rhode Island. Federal appeals from Rhode Island go to the First Circuit, where an appeal on the question is pending. Full record: prediction market laws in Rhode Island.
Which prediction market apps work in Rhode Island
| Platform | In Rhode Island | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | No restriction found | |
| Polymarket US | No restriction found | |
| Coinbase | No restriction found | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
| Crypto.com | No restriction found | Contracts trade on Crypto.com | Derivatives North America (North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc.), an affiliated CFTC-registered exchange and clearinghouse; Crypto.com's 2026-09-08 release places this entity under the OG.com spin-off. |
| DraftKings Predictions | Offered | |
| Fanatics Markets | Offered | Contracts trade on Crypto.com | Derivatives North America (Nadex rules). |
| FanDuel Predicts | Offered | Contracts trade on CME Group (financial contracts) and Crypto.com | Derivatives North America / OG (sports, entertainment and combination contracts). |
| Gemini Predictions | No restriction found | |
| PrizePicks | Offered | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
| Robinhood | No restriction found | Contracts trade on KalshiEX, ForecastEx and Rothera Exchange and Clearing (a Robinhood joint venture with SIG); since 2026-09-08 also OG.com's North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc.. |
| Underdog | Offered | Contracts trade on Underdog's own exchange UDX (Aristotle Exchange DCM/DCO, Inc. d/b/a Underdog Exchange), plus Kalshi and Nadex (Crypto.com | Derivatives North America). |
| Webull | No restriction found | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
“No restriction found” means we know of no court order, regulator action or platform notice stopping it in Rhode Island; it is not a finding that it is legal there.
Why the answers differ
A sportsbook takes the other side of each bet and keeps what bettors lose.3 It needs a license from the state. A prediction market is an exchange that matches users with each other and takes a fee,3 and the large ones are regulated by the CFTC, whose jurisdiction over trading on those exchanges federal law calls exclusive.4 That is the platforms’ case for offering sports contracts nationwide; by the 2025 Super Bowl, Kalshi offered them in all 50 states, including states without legal sports betting.5
States answer that sports event contracts are sports bets by another name; Massachusetts, for one, says Kalshi’s closely resemble wagers at licensed sportsbooks.6 Federal appeals courts have split, 1 for the platforms and 2 for the states, and 3 petitions now ask the Supreme Court to decide: see the circuit split.
Age limits
Kalshi and Polymarket US accept customers from 18,78 while most states set the gambling age at 20 or 21, a gap critics including the NCAA have raised.9 See how old you have to be. If gambling is causing you harm, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Questions
- Is sports betting legal in Rhode Island?
- Yes. Online sports betting is legal in Rhode Island. State-run online and retail sports betting through the Rhode Island Lottery (Sportsbook Rhode Island) since 2019; minimum age 18.
- Who regulates sports betting in Rhode Island?
- Rhode Island Lottery.
- Is Kalshi legal in Rhode Island?
- We found no court order or regulator action stopping Kalshi from serving Rhode Island, as of Oct. 22, 2026. Rhode Island's status on prediction markets: in litigation. Details are on our Kalshi in Rhode Island page.
- Is Polymarket legal in Rhode Island?
- We found no court order or regulator action stopping Polymarket from serving Rhode Island, as of Oct. 28, 2026. Rhode Island's status on prediction markets: in litigation. Details are on our Polymarket in Rhode Island page.
- What is the difference between a sportsbook and a prediction market?
- A sportsbook takes the other side of each bet and keeps what bettors lose, under a state license. A prediction market is a federally regulated exchange that matches users with each other and charges a fee, which is why platforms argue state gambling law does not reach them.
Sources
- Rhode Island sports betting status
- CoinStats prediction market legal tracker
- The New York Times (republished by West Hawaii Today, Oct. 6, 2025)
- 7 U.S.C. 2 (CEA section 2), Office of the Law Revision Counsel
- Axios (Jan. 31, 2025)
- Massachusetts Attorney General's Office (Sept. 12, 2025)
- Kalshi Help Center, Signing Up as an Individual
- Polymarket US terms of service
- Legal Sports Report (Mar. 19, 2026)