Polymarket US has agreed to stop offering new sports-related event contracts to Michigan customers, marking another step in the state’s fight over sports prediction markets.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) announced the agreement. Under its terms, Polymarket must close any remaining sports positions held by Michigan residents by the end of the day Eastern Time on November 25, 2026.
The agreement limits the company’s sports offerings in Michigan, but it does not settle the larger legal question: Should these contracts follow federal financial rules, state gambling laws, or both?
What the Polymarket Michigan Agreement Requires
The agreement takes the form of a court-approved stipulation in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. A stipulation is a formal agreement between parties in a legal case.
Under the deal, Polymarket US agreed to:
- Stop offering new sports-related event contracts to Michigan customers.
- Allow Michigan customers to close their existing sports positions before the deadline.
- Close any remaining sports positions by the end of November 25, 2026, Eastern Time.
- In return for the company’s compliance, Michigan agreed not to pursue enforcement action against Polymarket US.
For customers, the key point is the deadline. Michigan residents cannot keep their affected sports positions open beyond that date.
Why Michigan Is Challenging Sports Prediction Markets
Sports event contracts let customers take positions on the outcome of sporting events. Michigan officials treat these products as sports wagering, which requires a state gaming license.
Prediction-market operators have argued that federal commodities law controls these products and prevents states from applying their gambling laws. This argument is known as federal preemption: when federal law overrides state law.
Michigan disputes that position. State officials maintain that companies offering sports wagering to Michigan residents must follow Michigan’s licensing requirements.
That disagreement sits at the center of the Polymarket Michigan case.
How the Legal Dispute Reached This Point
The agreement followed months of court proceedings and warnings from state officials.
Polymarket US sued Michigan officials in March 2026, seeking to block enforcement of state gaming laws. The courts denied its request for a temporary restraining order that month and rejected its request for a preliminary injunction in June.
Those requests sought protection from enforcement while the case moved forward. Their denial left Polymarket without the court protection it had requested.
On September 10, 2026, the Michigan Attorney General’s office warned the company that it would take legal action unless Polymarket stopped offering the sports contracts.
Polymarket’s appeal remains pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The new agreement therefore changes what the company can offer Michigan customers without resolving the broader legal dispute.
Polymarket Joins Other Platforms Facing Michigan Restrictions
Polymarket is the fourth major prediction-market operator to halt—or face an order to halt—sports event contracts in Michigan this year.
The other companies reached that point through different legal paths:
- Kalshi became subject to a state-court preliminary injunction.
- Robinhood Derivatives reached an agreement to stop offering the contracts and close positions.
- Coinbase Financial Markets reached a similar agreement.
These outcomes should not be confused with a final ruling that settles every prediction-market case. They do, however, show the practical effect of Michigan’s enforcement efforts: fewer major platforms offering sports event contracts to state residents.
What Michigan Officials Say
MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said Polymarket’s decision to join the other operators “shows that Michigan’s approach is working.”
He also stated the agency’s position directly: “If you want to offer sports wagering to Michigan residents, you need a Michigan license.”
Attorney General Dana Nessel emphasized industry accountability and the importance of keeping gaming within licensed, regulated channels that provide consumer protections.
What This Means for Michigan Customers
Michigan customers with open Polymarket sports positions can close them voluntarily before the November 25 deadline. Any affected positions still open at the deadline will be closed by the platform.
The announced agreement focuses on sports-related contracts. It should not be read as a blanket ban on every type of prediction market.
For now, the immediate result is clear: Polymarket is ending its sports-contract offerings for Michigan customers under the agreement. Whether federal regulation ultimately limits Michigan’s authority over these products remains a question for the courts.
