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Missouri AG issues cease-and-desist letters to six prediction market operators

AG Catherine Hanaway confirmed operators may not “repackage sports bets as ‘event contracts’ to avoid Missouri law,” and must be licensed by the state’s Gaming Commission.

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Catherine Hanaway
Key Points
Operators issued cease-and-desist letters include Polymarket, Kalshi, Crypto.com, Novig, Underdog and Robinhood
According to the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, failure to comply with the orders will ‘result in enforcement action’

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has issued cease-and-desist orders to six prediction market operators offering sports event contracts in the state, including Polymarket, Kalshi, Crypto.com, Novig, Underdog and Robinhood. 

“Missourians voted for a safe, well‑regulated sports wagering market that supports public education and addresses problem gambling. Companies cannot repackage sports bets as ‘event contracts’ to avoid Missouri law. We will enforce the rules voters approved and protect consumers,” Hanaway said. 

“Any company that wants to offer sports wagering in Missouri must be licensed by the Missouri Gaming Commission, pay the required taxes and fees and ensure no one under 21 can place a bet.”

Missouri officially went live with its regulated sports betting market on December 1, 2025, welcoming operators such as FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Fanatics Sportsbook, bet365 and Caesars Sportsbook. 

According to Hanaway, if the prediction market operators fail to comply with the cease-and-desist order, the State of Missouri will be forced to file enforcement action. 

“Federal courts have ruled that online sports wagering platforms, like those offered by these prediction market operators, are subject to state gambling laws,” the releases states. 

“Federal law does not preempt state law in this area, and sports ‘event contracts’ do not qualify as ‘swaps’ governed by the federal Commodity Exchange Act, as frequently claimed by illegal online sportsbooks.”

On September 11, Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection issued cease-and-desist orders to nine prediction markets over unlicensed sports wagering, including Polymarket, Coinbase, Crypto.com, Robinhood, ProphetX, Novig, Webull, Gemini and Underdog. 

The action expands Connecticut’s enforcement campaign beyond Kalshi, who the regulator sued in August when seeking to prevent the operator from providing sports event contracts without a state gaming license.

Each of the operators in question must stop advertising, offering or promoting sports event contracts to Connecticut residents and allow users to withdraw funds.

Good to know

The Missouri Gaming Commission unveiled total casino activity for August 2026 on September 11, as operators combined to generate $171.4m of revenue, representing a decrease of 3%

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