Utah Files 13 Felony Charges Against Kalshi After $115 Sports Bet Investigation

Utah prosecutors filed 13 felony counts against Kalshi and its founders, CEO Tarek Mansour and COO Luana Lopes Lara, after a state undercover agent placed 12 sports wagers totaling $114.87 on the platform between September 13 and September 26. The agent created a Kalshi account using a Utah residential address, phone number and locally issued debit card, and confirmed his Utah location via the platform’s location services before placing a $10 bet on a Dallas Cowboys‑New York Giants game. Kalshi allowed the transaction, collected a 44‑cent fee, and subsequently accepted 11 more bets across football, baseball, soccer and hockey. The charges include third‑degree felony counts of online gambling promotion, a second‑degree felony for a pattern of unlawful activity, and a misdemeanor gambling promotion charge. The case escalates a national dispute over whether federally regulated prediction markets must comply with state gambling laws, with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) already suing Utah to prevent enforcement of its restrictions.