Polymarket US sues Ohio over sports contracts enforcement

Polymarket US has taken Ohio to federal court. The prediction market is fighting state cease-and-desist orders that target its sports event contracts. The company is suing through QCX LLC, its entity registered with the CFTC. The defendants are Ohio state officials, including Interim Attorney General Andy Wilson. The core argument is that federal law, not Ohio’s gambling rulebook, should decide whether these contracts can be offered to Ohioans. What Polymarket is arguing The lawsuit was filed between October 16 and 19, 2026. It challenges Ohio’s sports gaming regulations and its licensing requirements on two main legal fronts. The first is federal preemption under the Commodity Exchange Act, or CEA. Polymarket’s position is that its contracts fall under the federal framework, so Ohio’s gaming laws shouldn’t apply to them. The second argument rests on the Dormant Commerce Clause, a constitutional doctrine limiting how far states can interfere with commerce that crosses state lines. Polymarket is saying Ohio can’t build a regulatory wall around a market that operates nationally. How Ohio got here On September 25, 2026, the Sixth Circuit ruled in KalshiEx LLC v. Schuler that sports ev...