Judge Woodbury granted Nevada's preliminary injunction against Polymarket on May 29. The state has now restricted all five major prediction market platforms from offering sports, election, and entertainment contracts to state residents.
On May 29, 2026, Judge Jason Woodbury of the First Judicial District Court in Carson City granted the Nevada Gaming Control Board's motion for a preliminary injunction against QCX LLC. QCX LLC is the legal entity that operates Polymarket US. The order bars Polymarket from offering sports, election, and entertainment event contracts to Nevada residents, from providing platform access to users in the state, and from promoting trading-related content to Nevada residents.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board filed this civil enforcement action in Carson City state court. The NGCB's theory: event contracts tied to sports, elections, and entertainment constitute wagering activity under Nevada law and require a state gaming license to offer. No prediction market platform has a Nevada gaming license.
NGCB Chairman Mike Dreitzer stated after the ruling: "We are very pleased with Judge Woodbury's ruling and will continue to vigorously enforce Nevada law to safeguard gaming in our state."
A preliminary injunction is not a final ruling on the merits. It means the court found the NGCB has a reasonable likelihood of success and that the balance of harms favors restriction while the underlying case continues. The enforcement action against Polymarket will proceed to a final ruling.
The Polymarket ruling completes a coordinated enforcement campaign. The NGCB has now obtained injunctions or is pursuing active enforcement actions against every major US-accessible prediction market platform.
| Platform | Nevada Status | Contract Categories Blocked | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | Preliminary injunction granted | Sports, elections, entertainment | April 2026 |
| Coinbase Predictions | Preliminary injunction granted | Sports, elections, entertainment | Spring 2026 |
| Polymarket US | Preliminary injunction granted | Sports, elections, entertainment | May 29, 2026 |
| Robinhood Event Contracts | Enforcement action filed | Sports, elections, entertainment | 2026 |
| Crypto.com | Enforcement action filed | Sports, elections, entertainment | 2026 |
Judge Woodbury has now issued preliminary injunctions against both Kalshi and Polymarket in the First Judicial District Court. The NGCB chose to file in Carson City state court rather than federal court. That choice has produced favorable outcomes for the state in both cases where judges have ruled.
The same legal question produces different answers depending on which court hears it. Prediction market platforms argue that CFTC-regulated event contracts are federally regulated swaps, meaning state gambling laws cannot reach them. In federal court, that argument has succeeded. In April 2026, the Third Circuit ruled in Kalshi's favor, holding that sports event contracts are swaps under exclusive federal jurisdiction. A Phoenix federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in May 2026 blocking Arizona officials from enforcing state law against federally regulated prediction markets.
Nevada filed in state court. State courts apply state law, and Judge Woodbury found that the NGCB's argument met the standard for a preliminary injunction in both the Kalshi and Polymarket cases. The federal preemption argument is present in the Nevada cases. The court found it insufficient to block the injunction.
This divergence is the core of the national regulatory fight. Eighteen states are now in active litigation with prediction market platforms or the federal government over the same jurisdiction question. Two federal circuits have sided with federal jurisdiction. Nevada's state courts have sided with state law twice. The conflict will not resolve at the state level. For a full map of the federal regulatory framework and why the CFTC considers event contracts beyond state reach, see the CFTC prediction market rules guide.
Polymarket US is now blocked for Nevada residents. The injunction covers Polymarket US (QCX LLC). Polymarket's global platform, which operates outside US regulatory jurisdiction and is not accessible to verified US residents, is a separate legal entity not named in the Nevada order.
Kalshi and Coinbase Predictions are also restricted in Nevada. The restrictions cover sports, election, and entertainment contracts. Both platforms block Nevada users from accessing those event contract categories while the cases continue.
Robinhood and Crypto.com have not yet been enjoined in Nevada. Active enforcement actions have been filed, but no injunctions have been granted against these platforms as of June 5, 2026.
For traders in unaffected states, the platform landscape remains open. If you want to see how fee differences across the remaining available platforms affect expected value on a specific position, run the numbers through the prediction market fee calculator. Traders who exploit pricing differences between platforms can find the methodology in cross-platform arbitrage. For a full platform-by-platform fee comparison that accounts for current availability, see prediction market fees compared.
One practical point for Nevada residents with open Polymarket positions: injunctions restrict offering new contracts and providing platform access. They do not automatically freeze existing positions or withdrawals. Check Polymarket's Nevada-specific access guidance directly before acting.