Where Are Robinhood Prediction Markets Legal?
Robinhood Prediction Markets Legal States 2026
Robinhood has become one of the biggest names in prediction markets, letting users trade real-money contracts on everything from sports and politics to economic announcements, cryptocurrency prices and entertainment.
Unlike traditional sportsbooks, Robinhood's prediction markets operate through a federally regulated derivatives framework overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). That gives the platform a much broader U.S. footprint than conventional sports betting apps.
Robinhood Prediction Markets is currently available in 49 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C. However, not everyone gets access to trade the same markets.
Where Are Robinhood Prediction Markets Available?
Robinhood Prediction Markets is available in every U.S. state except Maryland, plus Washington, D.C.
That gives the platform access to 49 states plus D.C.:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Washington, D.C.
To trade prediction markets on Robinhood, you must be at least 18 years old, be a U.S. resident, have an individual Robinhood brokerage account and receive separate approval for a Robinhood Derivatives account.
Your physical location also matters. Robinhood uses geographic restrictions to determine which contracts you can trade, so traveling into a restricted state can affect your access even if your account was originally opened elsewhere.
Prediction market trading is currently available only through Robinhood's mobile app. You can view markets on the website, but you cannot place event-contract trades there.
What Markets Does Robinhood Offer?
Robinhood's prediction markets cover a much wider range of subjects than traditional sports betting.
Depending on your location and the contracts currently listed, the platform offers markets across categories including:
- Sports: NFL, NBA, NHL, college football, baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, MMA and other competitions, including individual games, championships and player-related outcomes.
- Politics and Elections: Election results, government appointments, legislation and other political developments.
- Economics: Federal Reserve decisions, interest rates, inflation, recession indicators and other economic outcomes.
- Financial Markets and Commodities: Financial indicators, commodity prices, precious metals and other market-related events.
- Crypto: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency price levels and market outcomes.
- Climate and Weather: Rainfall, temperatures, snowfall and other measurable weather events.
- Culture and Entertainment: Music, streaming, entertainment and other cultural outcomes.
- Technology and Education: Technology-related events, education costs and other measurable developments.
The exact selection changes as new contracts are listed and existing events resolve.
While Robinhood offers all these categories overall, its your state determines which ones you can actually access.
Which Robinhood Prediction Markets Are Available in My State?
Robinhood's state availability falls into three categories:
- All Event Markets
- Non-Sports Event Markets Only
- Unavailable
Most states can access sports contracts alongside the platform's broader non-sports markets. However due to states cracking down on sports contracts, Robinhood's full market menu is not identical everywhere.
Which States Can Trade Robinhood Sports Contracts?
Robinhood currently offers sports event contracts in 47 states plus Washington, D.C.
Those states are:
Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Massachusetts (MA), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA), Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI) and Wyoming (WY), plus Washington, D.C.
Users physically located in these jurisdictions can access eligible sports event contracts alongside other markets covering politics, economics, crypto, entertainment and more.
That includes states such as California and Texas, where traditional statewide online sportsbooks are still unavailable.
However, some states where Robinhood continues to offer sports contracts are challenging the product.
Why Does Robinhood Restrict Sports Contracts in Some States?
Here's the strange part about Robinhood's prediction market map: California and Texas allow its sports contracts, but Nevada - home to Las Vegas - doesn't.
You'd think states that already have legal sports betting would be the easiest places for Robinhood to operate. Regulators didn't get that memo, however.
The issue comes down to who gets to regulate these markets.
Prediction market companies operate through federally regulated derivatives exchanges. But several state gambling regulators argue that contracts predicting sports results are effectively sports wagers and should require the same state licenses as ordinary sportsbooks.
Some states have already secured restrictions, while others are still fighting operators through enforcement orders and court proceedings.
States Where Robinhood Offers Non-Sports Markets Only
Robinhood Prediction Markets remains available in Michigan and Nevada, but users in these states cannot open new sports event-contract positions.
Michigan: Robinhood agreed to stop offering new sports-related event contracts to Michigan customers on September 9, 2026, under a court-approved agreement.
Nevada: Robinhood stopped allowing residents to open new sports event-contract positions on December 1, 2025.
These restrictions are specific to sports contracts rather than the entire prediction market product, meaning users in these states can still access eligible non-sports categories, including:
- Politics and elections
- Economics and financial markets
- Crypto
- Commodities
- Weather and climate
- Culture and entertainment
Maryland is the only U.S. state currently classified as completely unavailable for Robinhood Prediction Markets.
In April 2025, Maryland regulators ordered Robinhood to stop offering sports event contracts, arguing they required state sports-wagering authorization. Robinhood went further, opting to stop offering event contracts entirely.
If you Maryland with an existing position, the contract doesn't disappear. Your open positions can continue through settlement, but you cannot create or close orders, deposit money or withdraw while physically located in an excluded state.
Robinhood Prediction Markets by State
| Market Type | States Available |
|---|---|
| Sports + Other Event Markets | AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MA, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, DC |
| Non-Sports Event Markets | MI, NV |
| Unavailable | MD |
How Do Robinhood Prediction Markets Work?
Robinhood Prediction Markets lets users trade Yes/No event contracts tied to specific real-world outcomes.
Instead of placing a traditional bet with American odds, you buy a contract representing whether you believe an event will happen. Each contract normally trades between $0.01 and $0.99, with prices reflecting the market's implied probability of the outcome.
If you buy a contract and your prediction wins, it settles at $1. If it loses, the contract settles at $0, and you lose the amount paid for the position, plus applicable fees.
There's also an important feature that traditional sportsbooks generally don't offer: you can sell your position before the event is resolved.
Contract prices change as traders react to new information. If your prediction becomes more likely, your contract may increase in value. If sentiment moves against you, its price may fall.
You can attempt to close your position at the current market price, although a sale depends on finding another market participant willing to take the other side.
Robinhood charges commissions on event-contract trades, and exchange fees may also apply. Since June 2026, Robinhood's commissions have used a probability-weighted calculation, with a lower rate for Robinhood Gold subscribers. Fees can apply when opening and closing positions.
Robinhood Prediction Markets for Sports Bettors
If you're coming from regular sportsbooks, here's the first thing I'd pay attention to on Robinhood: liquidity.
At a sportsbook, you place a bet at the offered odds, and you're normally locked in until the event ends unless you cash out.
Robinhood works differently. You're trading contracts in a market where buyers and sellers determine prices.
That gives you more flexibility, but it also means the price on your screen isn't necessarily the price you'll get when placing a larger order or trying to exit.
A contract showing a nice profit is great. Finding someone willing to buy it at that price is the part that actually gets you paid.
And don't ignore fees. Robinhood charges commissions, exchanges can add their own costs, and closing a position early can mean paying another round.
I like having the option to trade out of a position rather than sitting through the final whistle. Just make sure the price, liquidity and total fees actually justify the move.
Learn More About Prediction Markets
Can I Win Real Money on Robinhood Prediction Markets?
Yes. Robinhood Prediction Markets uses real money, and successful event-contract positions can generate cash profits.
Every contract has a defined settlement value. For standard Yes/No contracts, the correct outcome pays $1 per contract, while the incorrect outcome pays $0.
Your profit depends on the price you paid and any applicable commissions or exchange fees.
For example, suppose you purchase 10 Yes contracts at $0.40 each.
- Purchase cost: $4 before fees.
- If you're correct: The contracts settle for $10, producing a $6 gross profit before fees.
- If you're wrong: The contracts settle at $0, and you lose your $4 purchase cost plus applicable fees.
You don't necessarily need to hold your position until settlement.
If the contract's market price rises, you may be able to sell it early for a profit. You can also exit at a loss if the market moves against you, provided another trader is willing to buy your position.
Robinhood's commissions and exchange fees affect your final return, so the estimated profit shown before placing an order deserves attention.
Winning contracts settle in cash. Once settlement is processed, proceeds become available in your account, although funds are generally not immediately withdrawable.
Why Are Robinhood Prediction Markets Legal?
Robinhood's legal foundation starts with the federal derivatives market, which is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Robinhood Derivatives LLC is registered with the CFTC as a futures commission merchant (FCM). It provides customers with access to event contracts traded on federally regulated exchanges.
That structure allows Robinhood to offer prediction markets across a much broader geographic footprint than a traditional sportsbook, which generally needs separate state licenses. That means a federally regulated event contract can be available in a state where ordinary online sports betting is prohibited.
Sports contracts are where the legal argument becomes more complicated.
Some state regulators consider contracts predicting sporting outcomes to be sports wagering and argue that federal commodities regulation does not prevent states from enforcing their gambling laws.
Robinhood and other prediction market participants have relied on the federal regulatory framework to support their ability to offer these contracts.
Courts have not resolved that disagreement uniformly nationwide, and some states have already secured restrictions on sports markets.
Robinhood Prediction Markets Legal States FAQ
Robinhood Prediction Markets is available in 49 states and Washington, D.C., with Maryland the only state where the platform is unavailable.
In 47 states plus D.C., users can access both sports and other event markets. Michigan and Nevada are the two exceptions: eligible non-sports contracts remain available, but users face restrictions on opening sports positions.
Yes. Robinhood Prediction Markets is a real-money event-contract product offered through Robinhood Derivatives LLC, a CFTC-registered futures commission merchant.
Its contracts are traded through federally regulated exchanges, and users must receive approval for a derivatives account before trading.
Yes. Robinhood Prediction Markets is available in Texas, including eligible sports and non-sports event contracts.
That gives Texas residents access to sports-related prediction markets despite the state not having a conventional regulated online sportsbook market.
Yes. Robinhood Prediction Markets is available in California, including eligible sports event contracts.
Californians can also access qualifying non-sports categories, such as politics, economics and crypto.
Maryland is currently classified as unavailable for Robinhood Prediction Markets.
Robinhood's official restrictions page says Maryland residents cannot trade event contracts, although another help page mentions only sports contracts. We follow the broader restriction until Robinhood clarifies its availability rules.
No. Robinhood stopped allowing new sports event-contract positions in Michigan on September 9, 2026.
Existing sports positions were required to be closed by October 9 under a court-approved agreement. Eligible non-sports prediction markets remain available.
Yes, but sports contracts are restricted.
Nevada residents cannot open new Robinhood sports event-contract positions. Eligible non-sports prediction markets remain available.
Yes, according to Robinhood's currently published restrictions, Connecticut remains in its sports-access footprint.
However, Connecticut regulators ordered Robinhood to stop offering sports contracts in September 2026. A confirmed Robinhood-specific withdrawal has not been established, so users should check the current in-app availability.
Robinhood's published restrictions do not currently exclude Ohio, so it remains classified as available for sports and other eligible event contracts.
However, Ohio regulators ordered Robinhood and other companies to stop offering sports contracts in October 2026. That enforcement action could affect future availability.
Yes. Robinhood Prediction Markets is currently available in New York.
Eligible users can access sports event contracts alongside other prediction-market categories, subject to individual contract restrictions and account approval.
Yes, provided prediction market trading is permitted at your current physical location and your account remains eligible.
Robinhood applies geographic restrictions based on location, so traveling into a restricted state may prevent you from opening certain positions or trading event contracts altogether.
