SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Attorney General's Office has asked a judge to issue a preliminary injunction, blocking Kalshi from operating within the state.
In a court filing obtained by FOX 13 News, the state argues it is not unprecedented. Kalshi has been prohibited from operating in other states as a result of litigation.
"To ensure compliance with this injunction, Defendants should be required to implement the same, or equally stringent, geofencing and account-based restrictions Defendants have implemented in Nevada, Michigan, and Washington pursuant to court orders," assistant Utah Solicitor General Joshua Cutler wrote in the motion for a preliminary injunction.
Utah sues Kalshi, claims Utahns lost millions in illegal gambling:
On Tuesday, Utah Attorney General Derek Brown sued Kalshi alleging it is violating the state's constitutional prohibition on gambling. In August, the attorney general hinted to FOX 13 News that enforcement was coming.
Kalshi has pushed back, insisting that its business is not gambling, but "contracts" that are governed by a different set of laws.
There are tens of thousands of registered Kalshi users in Utah, who enter into contracts on the outcomes of sports, political and other events. Kalshi has argued it is governed by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Kalshi filed a lawsuit, pro-actively seeking to block Utah from taking any kind of anti-gambling enforcement. A federal judge ruled against Kalshi, who has now appealed to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Trump administration has filed a "friend of the court" brief, siding with Kalshi against Utah.