The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has filed a position in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals urging the court to recognize the agency’s jurisdiction over prediction markets, focusing on Kalshi’s dispute involving Ohio. According to reporting from multiple outlets, the CFTC’s filing comes in the context of an ongoing jurisdictional fight over which level of government has authority to regulate prediction markets. The debate centers on whether the CFTC regulates these markets under federal commodity laws or whether states can impose their own restrictions.
In the appeals process, the CFTC is asking the court to rule that the agency has the power to oversee the relevant prediction-market activity. The case is tied to legal challenges connected to Ohio’s role in regulating or restricting such markets. The filings underscore that the dispute is not limited to one state, but reflects a broader pattern of legal uncertainty about state authority versus federal oversight for prediction platforms.
The outcome depends on how the Sixth Circuit interprets the scope of the CFTC’s regulatory jurisdiction over prediction markets like Kalshi.
