Polymarket barred from Nevada over licensing dispute
Summary
The court granted a 14-day temporary restraining order preventing Polymarket (operated by Blockratize Inc.) from offering event contracts in Nevada while the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s lawsuit proceeds. The regulator argues Polymarket’s “event-based contracts” function as wagers under Nevada law and therefore require licensing. Judge Jason D. Woodbury concluded the board is likely to succeed on the merits and rejected the claim that the Commodity Exchange Act precludes state enforcement. The ban covers a period that includes the Super Bowl, and the matter is set for a preliminary injunction hearing on 11 February.
Key Points
- The Nevada court issued a 14-day restraining order blocking Polymarket from operating in Nevada pending litigation.
- The Nevada Gaming Control Board sued Blockratize Inc. on the basis that the platform’s event contracts are effectively wagers requiring a gaming licence.
- The judge found the regulator is “reasonably likely” to prevail and said federal law (Commodity Exchange Act) does not bar state enforcement.
- The temporary prohibition includes the Super Bowl period; Polymarket’s international markets (including Super Bowl lines) are accessible to US users only via VPN.
- Polymarket plans to file a comprehensive opposition; a preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for 11 February.
- The action follows similar regulatory positions in multiple US states and recent litigation involving competitor Kalshi.
Why should I read this?
If you care about prediction markets, sports-betting regulation or run any platform that offers event contracts, this is not one to skip. State regulators are flexing muscle, and this ruling — timed around the Super Bowl no less — could reshape how prediction markets operate in the US. Short, sharp and directly relevant to legal and compliance teams.
Author style
Punchy: this is a high-stakes regulatory test for prediction markets in the US. The ruling is immediate and practical — if you work in gaming, crypto prediction platforms or regulatory compliance, read the full details and note the Feb 11 hearing.
Source
Source: Yogonet International — Polymarket barred from Nevada over licensing dispute
Article date: 2026-02-03T03:06:22+00:00