Ohio OCCC Targets 10 Prediction Market Operators

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Wed Oct 07, 2026, 8:00 am ET

Read Time: 4 minutes

Ohio OCCC Targets 10 Prediction Market Operators

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The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has escalated its fight against sports prediction markets by targeting 10 operators with cease-and-desist notices.

The regulator wants the companies to stop offering sports event contracts to Ohio customers. The action expands Ohio's campaign against prediction markets beyond its existing dispute with Kalshi.

The notices target Coinbase, Gemini Titan, Moomoo Financial, Novig, Plus500US Financial Services, Polymarket, Prophet X, Robinhood, Underdog, and Webull Financial. The companies must respond to the OCCC by October 16, 2026.

Ohio regulators argue that sports event contracts constitute gambling under state law. Therefore, operators offering those contracts must comply with Ohio's sports gaming requirements.

The OCCC's latest action follows a significant Sixth Circuit ruling involving Kalshi. The court rejected Kalshi's effort to block Ohio and Tennessee from enforcing their gambling laws.

More importantly, the ruling weakened Kalshi's argument that federal commodities law prevents states from regulating sports event contracts. That decision has now strengthened Ohio's position against other prediction-market operators.

"The Sixth Circuit's ruling makes clear that sports event contracts are subject to Ohio's gambling laws. The Commission expects these entities to cease their illegal gambling activity in Ohio immediately," the OCCC said.

Interim Executive Director Andromeda Morrison also emphasized the regulator's consumer-protection concerns.

"Because these wagers lack the protections Ohio law requires, particularly for young and vulnerable people, the Commission must take action to fulfill its statutory responsibilities, protect consumers, and maintain fairness and integrity in sports gaming across Ohio," Morrison said in a release.

Ohio Expands Its Prediction-Market Enforcement

The latest notices include Robinhood directly among the 10 operators targeted by the OCCC. Therefore, the action should not be viewed as a separate warning about Robinhood's market offerings.

Instead, Robinhood's sports contracts are part of the same enforcement batch targeting Coinbase, Polymarket, and seven other companies. The OCCC is demanding that all 10 operators stop offering the disputed sports contracts in Ohio.

Kalshi remains outside the latest group because it already faces separate litigation with the OCCC.

The broader action shows that Ohio is expanding its approach across the prediction-market industry. Regulators maintain that operators cannot avoid Ohio gambling regulations by classifying sports contracts as financial products.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has also publicly backed the state's position. DeWine said prediction markets are "really gambling, nothing more" and must follow Ohio's rules.

That support gives the OCCC backing from the state's highest elected office. It also demonstrates that Ohio's executive and gaming regulators share the same position on sports prediction markets.

The OCCC also points to consumer safeguards as a key reason for its enforcement campaign. Ohio's regulated sports gaming system includes requirements covering licensing, age verification, consumer protection, taxation, and sports integrity.

Prediction market operators generally argue that federal commodities regulation provides the appropriate framework for their contracts. However, Ohio regulators now believe the Sixth Circuit ruling supports their authority to impose state gambling restrictions.

The Legal Fight Could Continue

Ohio's latest action forms part of a wider national dispute over sports prediction markets. Regulators and operators across the country continue to disagree over which level of government should oversee these contracts.

Several federal courts have considered whether the Commodity Exchange Act limits state authority over sports event contracts. Those cases have produced differing interpretations, creating additional uncertainty for operators.

As a result, the dispute could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Ohio's latest notices could force the affected companies to decide whether to comply or challenge the regulator.

The outcome could have broader consequences for the US online sportsbooks market. Prediction markets increasingly compete with traditional sportsbooks while operating under a different regulatory model.

For Ohio gambling regulators, however, the message is becoming clearer. The OCCC intends to treat sports prediction contracts as gambling unless courts establish otherwise.

The October 16 deadline now gives the 10 targeted operators a short window to respond. Their decisions could determine the next stage of Ohio's growing prediction-market crackdown.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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