Kalshi Launches College Football Betting Markets
Kalshi rolled out betting markets for college football games, offering 32 match-winner markets.
Expanding Sports Betting Offerings
Kalshi introduced 32 college football match-winner markets this week. Additionally, the platform added Wimbledon match-winner markets, broadening its sports portfolio.
Kalshi’s push into college sports follows its controversial March Madness basketball markets, which sparked lawsuits and regulatory pushback in seven states for operating as unlicensed sports betting.
Unlike traditional sportsbooks, which face state-specific restrictions on college betting, Kalshi claims its markets are legal across all 50 states. Consequently, this stance has drawn scrutiny, as college betting raises concerns about potential harassment of student-athletes by bettors, a hot-button issue nationwide.
Nevertheless, Kalshi’s platform operates under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), framing its offerings as financial prediction markets rather than gambling, despite using terms like “betting” in ads.
Legal Firestorms in New Jersey and Maryland
Kalshi’s expansion faces a legal challenge in New Jersey, where the Attorney General appealed a lower court’s ruling allowing Kalshi to operate. Over 100 entities, including 34 state Attorneys General, over 60 Native American tribes, the American Gaming Association, and anti-gambling groups like Stop Predatory Gambling, filed amicus briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Similarly, in Maryland, 27 federally recognized tribes and seven tribal organizations filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court, opposing Kalshi’s bid to block an April 2025 cease-and-desist order from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC). The MLGCC accuses Kalshi of offering unlicensed sports betting, violating state laws.
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