Louisiana has moved faster than any federal court. On 12 November, Attorney General Liz Murrill filed suit in state court against Kalshi, Polymarket and the other large prediction-market operators, calling them illegal online gambling. By 3:48 p.m. the same day, Judge Jeffrey Johnson of the 21st Judicial District Court in Tangipahoa Parish had signed an ex parte temporary restraining order, which Murrill posted on X that evening. Ex parte means the companies were not heard before it was granted.
What the order bans
The order bars the defendants from offering, listing, accepting, clearing, settling or otherwise facilitating any “event contract” for anyone located in Louisiana without a state gaming licence and permit. It defines an event contract as a wager, naming contracts on sports, elections and awards. It also orders them to geofence Louisiana and not to tell anyone there that their contracts are lawful or licensed in the state, a point the judge tied to the state’s Unfair Trade Practices Act. The order reaches officers, employees and anyone working with the companies who knows about it.
Johnson found that the petition “makes clear” the defendants are violating La. R.S. 14:90.3, the state’s gambling-by-computer law. The order rests on La. R.S. 27:19.1 and 27:19.2, which let the attorney general ask for ex parte relief to disable access to an unlicensed gambling site. No bond was required, because the state is suing to protect its own interests.
Who is named
By our count of the caption, the order names 31 companies. Kalshi, Polymarket and Crypto.com, together with its OG brand, each have five entities listed. Gemini has four and Underdog three, while Robinhood and Coinbase have two each. ForecastEx, Rothera Exchange and Clearing, Novig’s parent Ludlow Exchange, IG Group and ProphetX are named once each. Early reports put the total at ten operators, which is the brand count, not the entity count.
The federal race
Kalshi saw this coming. It sued Murrill and other Louisiana officials in federal court on 23 October, and on 12 November it filed a motion for its own restraining order in that case, KalshiEX LLC v. Murrill, No. 1:26-cv-04476 in the Western District of Louisiana. The motion says Kalshi expected the state to sue and asks the court to stop any state action over trading on its exchange. As of Thursday evening, no federal judge had ruled, nola.com reported, and Kalshi users in the state could still trade at 7 p.m. Polymarket’s US arm has its own federal case in the Eastern District, filed 27 October.
Key facts
Case: State of Louisiana v. Kalshi Inc. et al., 21st Judicial District Court, Tangipahoa Parish; filed 12 November 2026.
Relief sought: restraining order, preliminary injunction, civil penalties.
Order: ex parte TRO signed 12 November at 3:48 p.m.; expires after 10 days unless extended.
Next hearing: preliminary injunction, 30 November 2026 at 9:00 a.m.
Defendants: 31 entities under 12 brands, by our count.
Federal case: KalshiEX LLC v. Murrill, W.D. La. 1:26-cv-04476; TRO motion filed 12 November, not ruled on.
Why it matters for GambleFi
State courts are now the fastest weapon against prediction markets. Utah has already charged Kalshi’s founders, and the CFTC has sued Utah over preemption. Missouri and Arkansas face suits from the platforms themselves (Missouri, Arkansas), and the Second Circuit has refused to block New York. Louisiana went to its own court first and got an order in hours. If the platforms comply, a whole state goes dark for event contracts, from Kalshi to the crypto-native brands such as Crypto.com and Gemini.
For iGaming tokens, the GambleFi coins tied to onchain casinos, the order is a reminder that US states treat any cash or crypto stake on an uncertain outcome as gambling unless they license it. This is a news summary, not legal or investment advice. The GambleFi FAQ explains how crypto casinos and iGaming tokens are regulated.