Connecticut Orders Crypto.com, Robinhood, and Kalshi to Halt Unlicensed Sports Betting

Connecticut Orders Crypto.com, Robinhood, and Kalshi to Halt Unlicensed Sports Betting

Connecticut’s consumer protection agency classified certain event contracts by Robinhood, Crypto.com, and Kalshi as illegal online gambling, disputing firms’ claims of federal CFTC oversight.

Fact Check
The statement is overwhelmingly supported by high-quality evidence. The most crucial piece of evidence is a primary source: an official press release from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. This source directly confirms that cease and desist orders for "unlicensed online gambling" were issued to all three companies mentioned in the statement—Robinhood, Crypto.com, and Kalshi. This primary account is corroborated by multiple, consistent secondary sources from reputable news outlets like Yahoo Finance and Coindesk. These reports reinforce the key facts, explicitly naming the companies and clarifying that the state's action concerned what it considered "unlicensed sports wagering" or "illegal sports event contracts." The slight variation in terminology between "online gambling" and "sports betting" is reconciled by the context provided in these secondary sources, which all point to the same regulatory issue.There is no conflicting evidence presented. The sources that do not support the statement are entirely irrelevant, discussing different lawsuits in other jurisdictions. Given the direct confirmation from a government primary source and consistent corroboration from the press, the statement is assessed as highly likely to be true.
Summary

Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection has issued cease-and-desist orders to Kalshi, Robinhood Derivatives, and Crypto.com, declaring their sports event contracts to be illegal online gambling. The regulators contend that these offerings violate state law by operating without the required sports betting license and by targeting individuals under 21. The companies have claimed their contracts fall under U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission oversight, but the state rejected this argument, asserting exclusive jurisdiction over sports wagering within Connecticut. Licensed operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics remain in compliance with state regulations.

Terms & Concepts
  • Prediction Market: A marketplace where participants trade contracts based on the outcome of future events, including sports or political outcomes.