Is Polymarket legal in Nevada? No: why trading is blocked and what the courts have ruled (2026)
Polymarket is not available in Nevada: Polymarket US says trading is unavailable there after the state’s gaming regulators won a restraining order and then a preliminary injunction in 2026. The timeline, Polymarket’s appeal, what it means for Kalshi and why a VPN is a bad idea.
In this article
No. Polymarket is not available in Nevada. Polymarket US, the CFTC-regulated app, says plainly that "trading currently unavailable in NV", after Nevada's gaming regulators took Polymarket to court in January 2026 and won. The global site, polymarket.com, does not accept US residents either.
As of 24 October 2026.
Polymarket in Nevada at a glance
| Status in Nevada | |
|---|---|
| Polymarket US | Unavailable; trading blocked |
| Court order | Preliminary injunction against Polymarket US's sports, election and entertainment contracts |
| Global polymarket.com | Not open to US residents |
| Sportsbooks | Legal since 1949, licensed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, 21+ |
| State tax on winnings | None: Nevada has no personal income tax |
| Kalshi | Not available (Kalshi in Nevada) |
Nevada v. Polymarket: the timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| January 2026 | The Nevada Gaming Control Board files a civil enforcement action against Polymarket US in state court in Carson City |
| Late January | Judge Jason Woodbury grants a temporary restraining order |
| March | Polymarket moves the case to federal court; a federal judge sends it back to state court |
| Late May | The state court grants a preliminary injunction barring Polymarket US's sports, election and entertainment contracts |
| Since | Polymarket's appeal to the Ninth Circuit is pending |
Nevada's argument is simple: event contracts on sports and elections are wagers, and only licensed operators may take wagers in Nevada. The state has an unusually strong hand. It runs the country's oldest regulated sports betting market, and in August 2026 the Ninth Circuit, which covers Nevada, ruled against Kalshi in its own Nevada case.
What it means for Nevadans
- No Polymarket trading from inside Nevada, even on markets the injunction does not name; the app blocks the state entirely.
- No Kalshi either: it has also pulled out after losing at the Ninth Circuit.
- Licensed sportsbooks remain the legal way to bet on sports, at 21 and over.
- Visitors are blocked while physically in Nevada, since the apps check location, not residence.
Can you use a VPN?
Don't. It breaks Polymarket's terms, the global site bars US persons and can freeze accounts it identifies as American, and evading geolocation is exactly what Nevada regulators target (where Polymarket is legal).
Will Polymarket come back to Nevada?
Only if Polymarket wins its appeal or the Supreme Court rules that federal law overrides state gaming law for event contracts. With appeals courts split, the justices may take up the question (Kalshi and the Supreme Court).
Polymarket in Nevada: frequently asked questions
Is Polymarket legal in Nevada?
No. Polymarket US has blocked trading in Nevada, and a state court has barred its sports, election and entertainment contracts.
Why is Polymarket banned in Nevada?
Nevada's gaming regulators say its contracts are unlicensed wagers; they won a restraining order in January 2026 and a preliminary injunction in May.
Can I use Polymarket while visiting Las Vegas?
No. The app checks where you are, not where you live.
Is Kalshi available in Nevada?
No.
