Kalshi adds India to restricted jurisdictions after market ban
The CFTC-regulated prediction market now blocks Indian users as the country's sweeping online gaming law takes effect
Kalshi, the only CFTC-regulated prediction market in the US, has added India to its growing list of restricted jurisdictions. The move comes after India’s government made it unambiguously clear that prediction markets are illegal under the country’s new gaming law.
India now sits among 55 restricted jurisdictions where Kalshi users cannot access the platform.
India’s new law leaves zero room for interpretation
The catalyst here is India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025, which took effect on May 1, 2026. The law categorically prohibits online money games, a category that explicitly includes prediction markets.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, known as MeitY, had already been laying the groundwork for enforcement. The ministry sent Kalshi a letter dated April 25, 2026, warning the platform about continued access by Indian users despite earlier government directives.
Kalshi wasn’t the first target. MeitY ordered the blocking of rival prediction market Polymarket around May 21, 2026, then turned its attention to Kalshi with similar enforcement actions.
A global trend that’s picking up speed
India is far from alone in cracking down on prediction markets. Over 10 countries globally have restricted or banned Polymarket, Kalshi, or both in 2026 alone. The list spans jurisdictions across Europe and Asia.
Kalshi has long positioned itself as the compliant, regulation-friendly alternative in the prediction market space. It holds CFTC designation as a designated contract market in the US. But CFTC approval means nothing to Indian regulators applying Indian law.
What this means for investors and traders
The immediate impact is straightforward. Indian users who were accessing Kalshi are now locked out. For Kalshi specifically, the India ban adds to a pattern of geographic contraction even as the platform attempts to expand its product offerings in the US market.
The 55-jurisdiction restricted list at Kalshi is no longer a footnote in the terms of service. It’s becoming the story itself.