Legal tracker / CFTC v. Illinois
Case · as of Oct 15, 2026
CFTC v. Illinois
For the exchanges PI granted in part (licensing); fee challenge reserved
On Oct. 2, 2026 Judge Martha M. Pacold (N.D. Ill.) granted in part the preliminary-injunction motions of the CFTC, Kalshi and Coinbase, blocking Illinois from enforcing its sports-wagering licensing requirements and related criminal provisions against sports event contracts that likely qualify as swaps, finding those rules likely conflict with the Commodity Exchange Act. She reserved judgment on Illinois's 1.75%-3.5% tax on exchange sports wagers, writing that 'regulatory uniformity does not necessarily entail uniformity in cost,' and ordered the parties to submit proposed injunction terms by Oct. 29, 2026. The ruling runs opposite to the Wisconsin district court's denial of similar CFTC relief, now on appeal in the Seventh Circuit.
Case record last checked against its sources on Oct 5, 2026.
| Case | United States v. Illinois |
| Court | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois |
| Docket | 1:26-cv-03659 (N.D. Ill.); related: KalshiEX v. Raoul, 1:26-cv-07363; Coinbase Fin. Mkts. v. Raoul, 1:25-cv-15406 |
| Filed | Apr 2, 2026 |
| Type | Preemption suit |
| Companies | Kalshi, Coinbase |
| Other side | State of Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois Gaming Board and state officials (plaintiffs: United States and CFTC) |
| Last action | Oct 2, 2026: Preliminary injunction granted in part (licensing and criminal provisions enjoined; fee issue reserved). |
| Next date | Oct 29, 2026: Parties' proposed injunction terms due. |
History
Newest first.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | Judge Pacold granted the CFTC, Kalshi and Coinbase a partial preliminary injunction against Illinois licensing enforcement; transaction-fee question reserved. |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Supplemental-authority filing. |
| Apr 2, 2026 | CFTC filed suit. |
Sources
- CFTC press release 9206-26 (suits vs. AZ, CT, IL) (primary)
- Cert petition (PDF), No. 26-338 (primary)
- Cert petition (PDF), No. 26-299 (primary)
- Tracker: DeFi Rate prediction-market legal tracker
- DeFi Rate: Kalshi, Coinbase win partial injunctions against Illinois
- Crypto Briefing: partial ruling on Illinois sports contracts
- CasinoBeats (Oct. 5, 2026)
CFTC v. Illinois: questions
What is the status of CFTC v. Illinois?
PI granted in part (licensing); fee challenge reserved. On Oct. 2, 2026 Judge Martha M. Pacold (N.D. Ill.) granted in part the preliminary-injunction motions of the CFTC, Kalshi and Coinbase, blocking Illinois from enforcing its sports-wagering licensing requirements and related criminal provisions against sports event contracts that likely qualify as swaps, finding those rules likely conflict with the Commodity Exchange Act. She reserved judgment on Illinois's 1.75%-3.5% tax on exchange sports wagers, writing that 'regulatory uniformity does not necessarily entail uniformity in cost,' and ordered the parties to submit proposed injunction terms by Oct. 29, 2026. The ruling runs opposite to the Wisconsin district court's denial of similar CFTC relief, now on appeal in the Seventh Circuit.
What happened most recently in CFTC v. Illinois?
Oct 2, 2026: Preliminary injunction granted in part (licensing and criminal provisions enjoined; fee issue reserved).
What is the next date in CFTC v. Illinois?
Oct 29, 2026: Parties' proposed injunction terms due.
Compiled from court dockets, opinions, regulator releases and news coverage, linked above. Not legal advice. Illinois: every action · All cases · Interactive tracker