Wisconsin Warns Prediction Market Bets Could Cost Residents Their Voting Rights

Wisconsin election officials are cautioning residents that gambling on election outcomes could strip them of the right to vote. 

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In a statement released on Tuesday, officials highlighted the fast-growing nature of prediction markets and confirmed that the law left no room for doubt. “We want voters to understand that they cannot legally make a bet on an election and cast a ballot in that same election,” WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe explained.

“We are not able to police someone placing a bet on these platforms, but it’s important for voters to understand the consequences if they bet on an election outcome.”

The Commission pointed to Wisconsin statutes to underline the risks. Section 6.03(2) disqualifies anyone who has made, or indirectly taken part in, a wager on the result of an election from voting in that contest. Section 12.13(1)(a) goes further, classifying it as a Class I felony to knowingly cast a ballot without being qualified.

That means voters who gamble on election outcomes could face administrative challenges to their eligibility, and if those challenges succeed, they would lose their ballot and possibly be referred to the District Attorney.

Kalshi and Polymarket hit back, calls it voter suppression

Kalshi and Polymarket have rejected the Commission’s position, insisting their platforms should not be treated as gambling sites. Both companies argue they operate as financial exchanges, allowing users to buy and sell futures contracts rather than place bets. 

Kalshi went further, warning that the Commission’s statement could discourage participation in elections. 

“Kalshi has hundreds of thousands of users in Wisconsin,” a spokesperson said in an email to WPR. “Implying they can’t vote because they use Kalshi is not only dishonest, it is voter suppression! If even a handful of our users in Wisconsin see this and get scared away from voting, that could EASILY swing an election.”

The spokesperson described the release as “incredibly dangerous to democracy” and urged the Commission to withdraw it before a court intervenes. Polymarket has also responded, saying it would challenge the Commission’s claims “through the appropriate legal process.”

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Warning follows Gov. Evers’ executive order banning officials from prediction markets

The Commission’s warning comes only weeks after Governor Tony Evers moved to restrict how state officials interact with prediction markets.

In May, he signed Executive Order #294, which bars Wisconsin executive branch employees from using nonpublic information gained through public service to profit, avoid losses, or help others benefit from prediction market activity.

The order also extends to spouses and family members, reflecting concerns about insider trading risks tied to these platforms. 

Wisconsin has already taken legal action against companies including Kalshi, Robinhood, and Coinbase, arguing that certain event contracts offered on their platforms amount to illegal sports betting under state law. 

At the federal level, no law currently bans election prediction markets, though the Stop Trading On Predictions (STOP) Corrupt Bets Act of 2026 has been introduced in Congress to prohibit wagers on election outcomes. The US Senate has gone further, banning its members and staff from participating in prediction market betting altogether.

Across the country, restrictions are common. According to a Pew Research Center review of National Conference of State Legislatures data, more than 20 states have laws that prohibit betting on elections in some form.

Wisconsin’s latest warning comes as state regulators and justice departments continue to argue the legality of prediction markets across the US. Meanwhile, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates these platforms, has come to publicly back them both in the media and courts in a battle that seems headed for the country’s apex court.

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