Michigan Gets Polymarket to Drop Sports Contracts by 25 November

Four Operators Sidelined on Sports Without a Final Ruling

Polymarket US reached an agreement with the state’s MGCB, announced on October 28. "If you want to offer sports wagering to Michigan residents, you need a Michigan license," said MGCB executive director Henry Williams. Attorney General Dana Nessel added that the state is "holding the national sports betting industry accountable to Michigan law".

The agreement, approved by the court, prohibits new sports contracts for Michigan customers. However, Polymarket US contracts on politics, elections, and macroeconomics will remain available. A Michigan customer account will remain open; the sports contract option will not. In exchange, the state agreed to forgo enforcement actions while the company adheres to the agreement.

Polymarket Went to Court First and Lost Twice

Polymarket US filed a lawsuit against Michigan officials in March 2026, seeking to prevent the state from enforcing gambling regulations on prediction markets. The request for a temporary restraining order was denied in March, and the preliminary injunction was denied in June. The appeal is pending before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Michigan’s sportsbooks have been regulated since online sports betting was authorized under the Lawful Sports Betting Act. Apps and websites were first available to Michigan players in January 2021, under the oversight of the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB). Since then, every sportsbook in Michigan has needed a state license. The MGCB has treated event contracts as requiring a license like any other gambling product. In October, the MGCB issued 33 cease-and-desist letters to unlicensed offshore sportsbooks in Michigan.

Kalshi fought the MGCB’s actions, but lost in late June. An Ingham County judge issued a temporary restraining order against Kalshi, with sanctions of $120,000 per day if Kalshi continued to solicit Michigan customers. The state secured a preliminary injunction on September 1, raising the maximum sanction to $500,000 a day. Nessel’s office filed for contempt on September 29, claiming Kalshi kept selling products to Michigan residents despite the order. Kalshi is scheduled to appear in court to address the allegations on November 24.

A 15M observation on the calendar: Polymarket’s close-out deadline falls the day after that hearing. Michigan will have removed the fourth sports prediction platform before the court decides what to do about the first.

Source: Michigan Gaming Control Board, "Polymarket backs down as Michigan’s relentless crackdown on unlicensed sports betting continues", 28 October 2026