Kalshi Washington, D.C.: Two Briefs Against Its Home City

Kalshi Washington, D.C. is an odd case: the company opened a federal lobbying office a few blocks from the same Attorney General who has twice put his name on briefs arguing against it. The District itself has not sued Kalshi and has no court order blocking it, unlike Michigan or Washington state. But DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb joined 37 other AGs backing Massachusetts' case against Kalshi, then joined 27 states again backing tribes suing Kalshi in the Ninth Circuit — all while Kalshi's new government-relations team works the same city from a few miles away.

Legal status in Washington, D.C.

The District regulates its own sports wagering market under the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018, later rewritten by the Sports Wagering Amendment Act of 2024, with the D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) licensing operators like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars under Class A, B, and C tiers. Kalshi holds no OLG license and does not seek one — it lists sports event contracts under its CFTC designated-contract-market status instead, the same argument it makes nationwide. The District has not filed its own suit against Kalshi and no DC court has issued an order blocking it, unlike Michigan (June 2026 TRO), Nevada, or Washington state (August 2026 geofencing order). What DC has done is sign on: Attorney General Brian Schwalb joined a 38-state amicus brief in April 2026 backing Massachusetts' lawsuit against Kalshi, and separately joined 27 states in an amicus brief supporting the Blue Lake Rancheria and other tribes suing Kalshi in the Ninth Circuit over sports markets on tribal land. Neither brief is an enforcement action against Kalshi operating in DC specifically — they're the District adding its name to other states' fights. Meanwhile Kalshi opened its own Washington office in 2026, hiring former Biden administration DHS liaison John Bivona as its first head of federal government relations, to lobby the same federal government whose CFTC designation is the whole basis of Kalshi's legal argument.

State gambling authority: D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG)

Kalshi Washington, D.C. is the one page on this site where the company’s adversary and its newest neighbor are the same office. In 2026 Kalshi opened a federal government-relations headquarters in the District, hiring a former Biden administration DHS liaison to run it. In the same city, Attorney General Brian Schwalb has twice put his name on briefs arguing the legal theory that office exists to defend is wrong.

Is Kalshi Legit in DC? Its Own AG Signed Against It Twice

First, in April 2026: Schwalb joined 37 other state attorneys general on an amicus brief backing Massachusetts’ lawsuit against Kalshi, arguing that sports event contracts are unlicensed gambling regardless of the CFTC’s designation. Second, later in the year: DC joined 27 states supporting the Blue Lake Rancheria and other tribes suing Kalshi in the Ninth Circuit, arguing Kalshi’s reading of federal preemption would let it bypass tribal gaming authority entirely. Neither brief is a DC enforcement action. Both are the District’s chief lawyer stating, on the record, that he thinks Kalshi’s legal position is wrong — in cases DC didn’t bring and isn’t named a party to.

DC has not sued Kalshi. No DC court order blocks it, unlike Michigan’s June 2026 TRO or Washington state’s August 2026 geofencing deadline. Signing an amicus brief in someone else’s case is a stated position, not a court order.

DC Already Has a Licensed Sportsbook Market

This isn’t a jurisdiction without its own answer to sports wagering. The District has regulated online sports betting since the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018, rewritten by the Sports Wagering Amendment Act of 2024 to open citywide mobile licensing beyond the original single-vendor system. The DC Office of Lottery and Gaming currently licenses FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars under Class A, B, and C tiers. Kalshi holds none of those licenses and isn’t applying for one — it lists sports contracts under its CFTC designation, the same argument it makes in every state, DC included.

Is Kalshi Legal in DC Right Now?

Federally, Kalshi operates everywhere the CFTC has designated it to, DC included. Locally, the District hasn’t tested that in its own courts. That leaves DC in the same “gray” column as most states on this site — not blocked, not affirmatively licensed as a DC sportsbook, operating under a federal designation the District’s AG has publicly argued against in other states’ cases. A reader who wants a clean yes or no won’t get one here; the honest answer is that DC’s position is on record without DC having taken the step Michigan or Washington state did.

The DC-specific record, in order:

2019 — DC legalizes and licenses its own online sports betting market
2024 — DC rewrites the law, opening citywide licenses to FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars
2026 — Kalshi opens a DC lobbying office, hires John Bivona as head of federal government relations
April 2026 — DC AG Brian Schwalb joins 37 states backing Massachusetts’ suit against Kalshi
2026 — DC AG joins 27 states backing tribal plaintiffs against Kalshi in the Ninth Circuit
No DC lawsuit, no DC court order, as of this writing

Is Kalshi Safe for DC Users?

The mechanics are the same as anywhere else Kalshi operates: CFTC oversight, identity-verified accounts, dollar settlement, no crypto rail. The open question isn’t whether Kalshi pays out — it’s whether the multistate legal pressure DC’s own AG has joined eventually produces a DC-specific order the way it already has in Michigan and Washington state. That’s a legal risk to watch, not a signal that money deposited today is unsafe today. Trading event contracts can still lose the full stake regardless of which regulator wins. 21+ only, and the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline is 1-800-522-4700.

Kalshi Washington, D.C. — Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kalshi legal in Washington, D.C.?

Federally, yes — Kalshi operates as a CFTC-designated contract market nationwide, DC included. No DC court has ordered it blocked and the District has not sued Kalshi directly. But DC's Attorney General has twice signed onto other states' briefs arguing Kalshi's sports contracts are unlicensed gambling, so the legal theory Kalshi relies on is one DC's own top lawyer has gone on record against — just not yet in a DC courtroom.

Has DC taken action against Kalshi like Michigan or Washington state did?

No. Michigan got a temporary restraining order in June 2026 with daily fines; Washington state got a geofencing order with an August 2026 compliance deadline. DC has done neither. What it has done is join two multistate amicus briefs — one backing Massachusetts' lawsuit, one backing tribes in a Ninth Circuit case — without opening its own case against Kalshi.

Why would DC's AG sign briefs against Kalshi without suing it?

Amicus briefs let a state register its legal position in someone else's case without the cost and risk of filing its own lawsuit. Attorney General Brian Schwalb's office joined the April 2026 38-AG brief supporting Massachusetts and the later 27-state brief supporting tribal plaintiffs in the Ninth Circuit — both arguing state gambling law should reach Kalshi's sports contracts. That's a stated position, not a case filed against Kalshi in DC.

Is Kalshi legit?

As a company, yes — a real CFTC designation since 2020, KYC-verified accounts, and dollar settlement. The DC AG's amicus signatures are about whether state gambling law should apply to Kalshi's sports contracts, not an allegation that Kalshi has failed to pay out or misled users.

Is Kalshi safe to use in Washington, D.C.?

As safe as any CFTC-regulated exchange: federal oversight, identity verification, dollar-denominated settlement. What's unsettled isn't Kalshi's solvency — it's whether DC or any state can eventually force it to geofence sports contracts the way Michigan and Washington already have. That's a live legal question, not a safety defect today.

Does DC have its own licensed sportsbook I could use instead?

Yes. The District has run licensed, taxed online sports betting since 2019, with FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars all holding current OLG licenses under the 2024 rewrite of the law. That's a state-licensed sportsbook in the traditional sense — a different product and a different legal footing than Kalshi's federally designated event contracts.

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