Poker Writer
The Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin sued online prediction market operator Kalshi, accusing it of engaging in illegal sports gambling on tribal lands.
The Nation accuses Kalshi of allowing people to use the site on tribal lands where the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act governs gaming. The act is intended to make gaming on tribal lands only benefit the Native American tribes who control the area. The Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin claims that Kalshi violates that act.
Kalshi, which recently partnered with Robinhood for football prediction markets, argues that its site is not gambling. The Nation disagrees, asserting that allowing users to choose yes or no on outcomes of sporting events while on Indian lands is, in fact, gambling.
The official court document reads:
In 2025, the gaming industry shifted significantly. Currently, 18-year-old high school students across the United States — including some that are located on Indian reservations — are on their phones placing bets on the outcome of virtually every sporting event occurring across the globe, without any regulation of that betting by states or Indian tribes and the protective measures related to corruption and problem gambling imbedded in such regulatory schemes, in contravention of federal, state, and tribal law. And they are placing those illegal bets using defendants Kalshi Inc. and KalshiEX LLC, (“Kalshi”), and Robinhood Markets, Inc. and Robinhood Derivatives LLC (“Robinhood”).
Wisconsin, as a state, prohibits sports betting outside of its contracts with tribal entities. Ho-Chunk Nation is among those.
If people can use Kalshi to bet sports from their phone, they have little reason to travel to Ho-Chunk properties and do so.
Eleven different tribes operate 26 casinos across the Badger State. All are on Indian lands. The Ho-Chunk Nation operates seven casinos across the state with prominent locations in Madison and the Wisconsin Dells.
Challenges to Kalshi have become more plentiful. The prediction market operator recently suffered a setback in Maryland. Meanwhile, Robinhood sued the states of Nevada and New Jersey.
The legal back-and-forth between prediction market operators and the states shows no signs of slowing down.
Image credit: jpellgen/Flickr (license)
