Utah charges Kalshi and its CEO with illegally promoting online gambling
Utah prosecutors filed 14 criminal charges against prediction market KalshiEX LLC and its co-founders, Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara, accusing them of violating the state ban on online gambling. The state action follows an undercover investigation where an agent placed wagers on sporting events using the platform. The criminal case escalates a broader regulatory conflict over state authority versus federal oversight of prediction markets, drawing responses from federal administrators and separate legal battles in other jurisdictions.
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- ✓ Utah filed 14 criminal charges against KalshiEX LLC and co-founders Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara on October 28, alleging they promoted illegal online gambling.
- ✓ The state filed the criminal counts after an undercover agent wagered $114.87 on sporting events.
- ✓ The Trump administration sued Utah to protect Kalshi from the state's total ban on gambling.
What changed
Utah filed 14 criminal counts against KalshiEX LLC and co-founders Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara.
Live updates
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Utah Files Criminal Charges Against Kalshi and Co-Founders
Utah prosecutors filed 14 criminal charges against prediction market KalshiEX LLC and its co-founders, Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara, accusing them of violating the state ban on online gambling. The state action follows an undercover investigation where an agent placed wagers on sporting events using the platform. The criminal case escalates a broader regulatory conflict over state authority versus federal oversight of prediction markets, drawing responses from federal administrators and separate legal battles in other jurisdictions.
Why it matters
The charges transform a regulatory disagreement over financial derivatives and prediction markets into a personal criminal case against the exchange leadership. Utah maintains a strict total ban on gambling, setting up a direct conflict with federally regulated trading platforms that offer event-based contracts. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has taken legal action against Utah to protect Kalshi from state-level prohibitions.
What is confirmed
- Utah filed 14 criminal charges against KalshiEX LLC and co-founders Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara on October 28, alleging they promoted illegal online gambling.
- The state filed the criminal counts after an undercover agent wagered $114.87 on sporting events.
- The Trump administration sued Utah to protect Kalshi from the state's total ban on gambling.
Still unconfirmed
- The Utah attorney general received campaign donations from gambling companies according to disclosures.
What to watch next
- Resolution of the federal lawsuit brought by the Trump administration against Utah
- Court proceedings regarding the 14 criminal charges filed against Kalshi executives in Utah
confidence 95%Sources used for this update (25)
- www.visitutah.com — Official Utah Travel Guide | Visit Utah
- www.worldatlas.com — Utah Maps & Facts - World Atlas
- www.visitutah.com — Places To Go In Utah | Best Places To Visit In Utah
- www.utah.gov — Home | Utah.gov
- www.utah.com — Utah Vacation Planning and Things to Do | Utah.com
- www.theverge.com — Here’s Nintendo’s overview trailer for the Ocarina of Time remake.
- www.utah.edu — The University of Utah
- Ars Technica — Trump admin sues Utah to save Kalshi from the state’s total ban on gambling
- The Guardian — Utah files criminal charges against prediction market Kalshi and company co-founders
- The Verge — Utah charges Kalshi and its CEO with illegally promoting online gambling
- The Salt Lake Tribune — Utah files 14 criminal charges against Kalshi and its founders, says the site breaks the state’s gambling laws
- KSL News — Utah attorney general received campaign donations from gambling companies, disclosures show
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