Ohio Casino Control Commission confirms four firms halt sports event contracts
Enforcement & compliance2 min read
Ohio's Casino Control Commission confirmed that Robinhood, Gemini and Moomoo Financial had stopped offering new sports event contracts to Ohio customers, while Coinbase agreed to halt them by 13 November. The four firms join Plus500US in complying with cease-and-desist orders issued to 10 operators; two others have sued Ohio and three remain in discussions with the commission.
Robinhood, Gemini and Moomoo Financial have ceased providing new sports event contracts to Ohio customers, the Ohio Casino Control Commission told Legal Sports Report. Coinbase has agreed to halt its offerings by 13 November.
Plus500US complied with its order on 21 October, the regulator confirmed. The OCCC had issued cease-and-desist orders to 10 prediction market operators on 2 October and set a 16 October deadline for them to confirm compliance.
Underdog and Polymarket have taken the state to court, while Novig, ProphetX and Webull are still talking with the commission. Polymarket's suit contests whether Ohio's sports betting licensing rules are constitutional. The company contends that the framework's physical-presence and in-state server requirements illegally discriminate against interstate commerce.
Ohio's enforcement drive came after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled against Kalshi in September. The appellate court held that federal commodities law does not classify Kalshi's sports-event contracts as swaps. Even if the contracts were swaps, the panel found, federal law would not displace state gambling laws expressly or by implication. Already in litigation with the state, Kalshi was excluded from the 10 recipients of the subsequent cease-and-desist orders.
The OCCC said companies that disregard its orders could face administrative, civil or criminal action and financial penalties tied to revenue from Ohio customers.
In a 20 October letter, the OCCC warned gaming operators, suppliers and other licensees that support for unlicensed prediction markets could put their licences at risk. The commission identified services including market making, liquidity provision, integrity monitoring, data security and other technology support. It ordered licensees to stop supporting prediction market platforms offering sports event contracts immediately and confirm compliance by 30 October. The OCCC said several licensees met the deadline, while others had not confirmed compliance.