Nevada Court Ruling Forces Polymarket to Exit State Ahead of Super Bowl LX

A Nevada court ruling has pushed prediction market platform Polymarket out of the state, at least temporarily, following a legal challenge from state regulators. The decision limits the trading exchange ability to offer event contracts within Nevada.

The State of Nevada filed a lawsuit on Jan. 16 arguing that Polymarket event contracts function as wagering and conflict with the regulated sports betting system in the state. Judge Jason D. Woodbury ruled in favor of the state, issuing a temporary restraining order that blocks Polymarket from operating in Nevada for an initial 14 day period.

Good to Know

• Nevada courts granted a temporary restraining order against Polymarket
• The ruling applies ahead of the Feb. 8 Super Bowl LX
• Polymarket had already stopped offering NFL contracts in the US

Gaming attorney Daniel Wallach said Polymarket appears to have exited the jurisdiction following the ruling. Wallach posted on Saturday that the platform no longer operates within the state during the restraining order period.

The timing removes Polymarket from Nevada during one of the most active periods for prediction markets. Super Bowl LX takes place on Feb. 8, although Polymarket had not listed NFL related contracts in the United States since returning to the market in December.

While NFL offerings were absent, the platform continued to list contracts tied to the NBA, NHL, college basketball, and political outcomes. Judge Woodbury found that activity conflicted with Nevada regulated sports betting rules, which require licensing through the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

The ruling states that unlicensed event contracts undermine the regulatory structure designed to protect both licensed operators and the public. The court determined that the activity caused direct harm by bypassing oversight standards required of approved sportsbooks.

“An unlicensed participant beyond the Board’s control, such as Polymarket, obstructs the Board’s ability to fulfill its statutory functions,” Woodbury wrote in his decision. “The resulting harm in evasion of Nevada’s ‘comprehensive regulatory structure’ and ‘strict licensing standards’ is immediate, irreparable and not sufficiently remediable by compensatory damages.”

The court also addressed arguments tied to federal oversight of prediction markets. Woodbury noted that federal preemption remains unsettled and subject to change, but current legal authority did not support that position in the Polymarket case.

“At the moment, the balance of convincing legal authority weighs against federal preemption in this context,” Woodbury stated.