Maryland Sued Kalshi First. Then Kalshi Hired Annapolis.
November 10, 2026
New York sued Kalshi in July, and I wrote about that fight for the New York Wire this week. But Maryland got there first. In April of last year, the state’s gaming commission told Kalshi to stop offering sports bets to Marylanders. Kalshi sued the state in federal court, and in August a federal judge refused to stop Maryland from enforcing its laws. And while the company fights the state in court, it has hired three Annapolis lobbyists to work the legislature.
The money behind the fight is the biggest pot in Maryland politics that nobody in Annapolis will touch. Marylanders spend about 7 billion dollars a year on offshore and unregulated casino sites, and the state’s own analysts say legal online casinos would bring in 290 million dollars in taxes in a single year. The legislature has had three sessions to take it, and the earliest voters can even be asked is November 2028. Here is who is in the room while Annapolis waits.
