Where Is Coinbase Prediction Markets Legal?
Coinbase Prediction Markets Legal States 2026
Coinbase Prediction Markets is a real-money prediction market product that lets users trade contracts on sports, politics, crypto, economics, weather and other real-world outcomes directly through Coinbase.
The feature brings prediction markets into an ecosystem already familiar to millions of cryptocurrency traders, giving Coinbase customers another way to speculate on everything from NFL results to Federal Reserve decisions.
As of today, Coinbase Prediction Markets is available in 48 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C. However, access isn't identical everywhere. Some states face substantial restrictions on the types of contracts they can trade, particularly sports, politics and entertainment.
Where Is Coinbase Prediction Markets Available?
Coinbase Prediction Markets is currently available in 48 U.S. states, as well as Washington, D.C.:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, 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.
That list includes major markets such as California and Texas, where traditional online sportsbooks are not allowed.
To trade on Coinbase Prediction Markets, users must meet several eligibility requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be a U.S. resident in an eligible jurisdiction.
- Have a verified Coinbase account in good standing.
- Apply for and receive approval for a Coinbase Financial Markets predictions account.
- Complete the required identity, financial information and suitability checks.
Coinbase uses information such as your residential address to determine which products are available to you. Temporary international travel does not automatically remove access for an otherwise eligible U.S. resident, but account eligibility and regional market restrictions still apply.
What Markets Does Coinbase Offer?
Coinbase Prediction Markets covers a broad selection of real-world subjects, with contracts organized into categories that include:
- Sports: NFL, NBA, MLB, soccer, championship futures and other sporting outcomes.
- Elections and Politics: Election results, political appointments, legislative developments and government decisions.
- Economics and Financials: Interest rates, inflation, employment reports, stock indexes and other financial outcomes.
- Crypto: Bitcoin and Ethereum prices, cryptocurrency milestones and related events.
- Commodities and Weather: Gold, oil and other commodity prices, plus temperature and weather-related outcomes.
- Entertainment, Social and Mentions: Awards, pop culture events, social trends and contracts tied to what public figures or companies might say.
- Science and Technology and Companies: AI developments, technology releases, corporate milestones and scientific events.
The exact selection changes as contracts open, trade and settle. More importantly, not every category is available in every state.
Which Coinbase Prediction Markets Are Available in My State?
Coinbase Prediction Markets availability falls into three clear groups: states where users can access sports and other event markets, states where certain market categories are restricted, and states where the product is unavailable altogether.
The sections below break down exactly what Coinbase Prediction Markets users can access in each group.
States Where Coinbase Offers Sports Prediction Markets
Coinbase offers sports prediction markets alongside its broader event-contract menu in 47 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C.
These jurisdictions are:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, 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, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Washington, D.C.
Eligible users in these jurisdictions can trade sports event contracts covering outcomes such as game winners, point totals and championship results, subject to the contracts currently listed.
That includes states such as California and Texas, where conventional statewide online sportsbooks are not licensed.
Why Does Coinbase Offer Sports Predictions in Some States but Not Others?
If you've followed the prediction-market industry lately, you've probably noticed something strange: one state can block sports contracts while the same platform keeps offering markets about inflation or interest rates.
There's a reason for that.
States aren't all taking the same approach to event contracts. Some regulators are primarily concerned about sports markets operating without local sportsbook licenses. Others are challenging a much broader range of real-money predictions.
Coinbase gets its nationwide reach from a federally regulated derivatives framework, but that hasn't stopped individual states from testing the boundaries.
Washington is a perfect example. Its court order goes well beyond sports, restricting political and entertainment markets too, while leaving certain financial and economic contracts available.
For users, the practical rule is simple: check which markets your state actually allows. A platform being available doesn't guarantee that every contract on its menu is available to you.
Coinbase Restricted Markets States
Coinbase Prediction Markets remains available in Washington, but the state's restrictions substantially narrow the selection of contracts.
In August 2026, a Washington court ordered Kalshi to stop offering several categories of event contracts, including:
- Sports
- Elections and politics
- Entertainment and culture
- Science and technology
- Mentions markets
Because Coinbase's prediction market contracts are operated through Kalshi, these restrictions affect which markets can be offered through Coinbase in Washington.
The court order preserves access to four permitted categories:
- Commodities: Contracts tied to commodity prices, including assets such as gold and oil.
- Climate: Eligible climate and weather-related outcomes.
- Economics: Economic indicators, inflation, employment and similar events.
- Finance: Financial markets, indexes and other eligible financial outcomes.
Washington users therefore retain access to eligible financial and economic prediction contracts, subject to the individual markets Coinbase makes available.
Sports, politics and entertainment contracts are unavailable under the restrictions.
Coinbase Prediction Markets is currently unavailable in two U.S. states:
- Michigan (MI)
- Nevada (NV)
Both states have taken regulatory action against sports-related event contracts, although their legal proceedings and Coinbase's responses have differed.
In Nevada, state gaming regulators pursued legal action against Coinbase's prediction-market operations in February 2026, leading to court restrictions.
In Michigan, Coinbase reached an agreement with state regulators in October 2026 to stop offering new sports-related event contracts and close remaining Michigan sports positions by October 10.
Although that agreement specifically addressed sports contracts, Coinbase currently excludes Michigan from its Prediction Markets product entirely.
These restrictions apply specifically to Coinbase Prediction Markets. They do not mean Coinbase's entire cryptocurrency platform is unavailable in either state.
Coinbase Prediction Markets by State
The table below summarizes the current U.S. availability categories for Coinbase Prediction Markets.
| 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, MD, MA, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV, WI, WY, DC |
| Commodities, Climate, Economics & Financial Markets | WA |
| Unavailable | MI, NV |
How Do Coinbase Prediction Markets Work?
Coinbase Prediction Markets allows users to buy and sell contracts tied to the outcome of real-world events.
Most contracts are structured around a simple question with two possible outcomes: Yes or No.
For example, imagine a market asking whether a particular team will win the NBA championship. You can purchase Yes contracts if you believe the team will win, or No contracts if you believe it won't.
Contract prices generally range from $0.01 to $0.99, reflecting how traders collectively value the likelihood of an outcome.
A Yes contract priced at $0.40 represents an implied probability of approximately 40%. If you buy 10 contracts at that price, your position costs $4 before fees. If the event happens, each winning contract settles at $1, producing a $10 payout and a $6 profit before fees.
If your prediction is incorrect, the losing contracts settle at $0.
The other important feature is that you don't necessarily have to hold a position until the event finishes.
Contract prices change as traders react to developments, and Coinbase allows users to sell eligible positions before settlement. That means you can potentially lock in a profit or limit a loss before the final outcome, provided there's sufficient market liquidity.
Each contract has specific settlement rules that determine which outcome wins. Coinbase displays those rules before a trade, while Kalshi determines the official result using the designated settlement source.
Coinbase Prediction Markets vs. Traditional Sportsbooks
Coming from traditional sportsbooks, the biggest adjustment with Coinbase is understanding what your position is worth after you've bought it.
At a sportsbook, I place my bet at a set price and generally know what I'll receive if it wins. With a prediction market, that contract has a changing market value while the event is still unresolved.
That's useful if you know how to take advantage of it.
Say I buy a contract at $0.35 and new information pushes the market price to $0.65. I may be able to sell the position for a profit without waiting for the game or event to finish.
But here's the part sportsbook bettors shouldn't overlook: liquidity matters.
A contract displaying $0.65 doesn't guarantee there's enough demand to sell everything at that price. Thin markets can have wider spreads and less favorable execution.
I would pay close attention to the available prices, trading activity and fees before entering a position. Being right about an outcome is only half the job. The price you pay determines whether the trade actually offers value.
Learn More About Prediction Markets
Can I Win Real Money on Coinbase Prediction Markets?
Yes. Coinbase Prediction Markets allows eligible users to trade real-money event contracts and earn cash profits when their positions are successful.
Contracts can be purchased using settled U.S. dollars (USD) or USDC. You don't need to buy Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency to participate.
Winning contracts typically settle at $1 each, while losing contracts settle at $0.
For example, buying 20 Yes contracts at $0.25 would cost $5 before fees. If the event occurs and those contracts win, they settle for a total of $20, producing a $15 profit before fees.
Users can also realize gains or losses by selling contracts before settlement. The proceeds depend on the price at which the sale executes.
Coinbase displays applicable trading fees before an order is confirmed. Funds from settled or closed positions move through the platform's predictions balance and applicable transfer process before becoming available in the customer's main Coinbase account.
Profits from prediction market trading may also be taxable.
Why Is Coinbase Prediction Markets Legal?
Coinbase's ability to offer prediction markets across most of the country comes from the federal regulatory structure governing derivatives and event contracts.
Coinbase Financial Markets is registered as a Futures Commission Merchant, or FCM, and operates under oversight from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Futures Association.
The actual event contracts are listed through Kalshi, which is registered with the CFTC as a Designated Contract Market.
That gives Coinbase a recognized federal framework for offering event-contract trading to eligible U.S. customers.
Traditional sportsbooks generally need separate licenses from the states where they accept wagers. Coinbase operates its prediction-market product through the federally regulated derivatives system, where event contracts are listed and traded under the Commodity Exchange Act.
Of course, that framework is facing legal challenges.
Several states argue that certain event contracts, particularly those involving sports, should also be subject to state gambling laws. Prediction-market operators maintain that federal commodities regulation governs those contracts.
The courts have not reached a uniform nationwide resolution, which helps explain why Coinbase's availability differs between Washington, Michigan, Nevada and the rest of the country.
Coinbase Prediction Markets Legal States FAQ
Coinbase Prediction Markets is available in 48 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C.
Michigan and Nevada are excluded entirely. Washington remains available for certain commodity, climate, economic and financial contracts, while the other 47 states and D.C. receive broader market access, including sports.
Yes. Coinbase Prediction Markets is a legitimate real-money prediction-market product offered through Coinbase Financial Markets, a registered Futures Commission Merchant.
Its event contracts are operated by Kalshi, a CFTC-regulated Designated Contract Market. Both operate within the established U.S. derivatives regulatory framework.
No. Coinbase Prediction Markets is currently unavailable in Michigan.
Coinbase agreed to stop offering new sports event contracts to Michigan customers in October 2026, and its current product eligibility documentation excludes the state entirely.
No. Coinbase Prediction Markets is currently unavailable in Nevada.
The state pursued court action against Coinbase's event-contract operations, and Coinbase excludes Nevada residents from opening new prediction-market positions.
Yes, but only for certain categories of contracts.
Washington users can access eligible commodities, climate, economics and financial markets. Sports, politics, elections, entertainment and several other categories are restricted following a state court order against Kalshi.
Yes. Coinbase Prediction Markets is available in Texas, including sports event contracts.
The product operates through a federally regulated derivatives framework, allowing eligible customers to access sports predictions despite Texas not licensing conventional online sportsbooks.
Yes. Coinbase Prediction Markets is available in California, including sports and other event markets.
California does not have a statewide regulated online sportsbook market, but Coinbase offers prediction contracts through the federal derivatives system.
Yes. Coinbase Prediction Markets is currently available in New York.
Eligible residents can access real-money event contracts, including sports predictions, through their approved Coinbase Financial Markets accounts.
Coinbase Prediction Markets remains available in Ohio under Coinbase's published product eligibility rules.
However, Ohio regulators issued a cease-and-desist order targeting Coinbase and other prediction-market companies over sports contracts in October 2026. The state challenge has not been accompanied by a confirmed complete Coinbase product withdrawal.
Yes. Coinbase Prediction Markets is included in the platform's available-state footprint for Connecticut.
Connecticut regulators have challenged sports event contracts and ordered several prediction-market companies to stop offering them. Coinbase has not been identified among the operators confirmed to have withdrawn its sports markets in the state's published enforcement update.
Yes. Coinbase Prediction Markets is available in Washington, D.C.
Eligible users can trade real-money event contracts, including sports and other market categories, through Coinbase's federally regulated prediction-market offering.
You must be at least 18 years old.
You also need a verified Coinbase account, U.S. residency in an eligible jurisdiction and approval for a Coinbase Financial Markets predictions account. Additional suitability checks may apply.
No. Coinbase accepts settled USD and USDC for prediction-market contracts.
You can fund eligible trades with U.S. dollars without first purchasing Bitcoin, Ethereum or another cryptocurrency.
