Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed the nation's first law banning prediction market sites from operating in the state, the most far-reaching crackdown on massively popular services like Kalshi and Polymarket.

It comes as states confront a growing standoff with the Trump administration over how to regulate the industry, which allows people to bet on virtually anything.

The new state law makes it a crime to host or advertise a prediction market, which it defines as a system that lets consumers place a wager on a future outcome, like sports, elections, weather, live entertainment, someone's word choice and world affairs.

The prohibition extends to services supporting prediction markets, like virtual private networks, that could allow consumers to disguise their location and get around the ban.

It would force prediction market sites like Kalshi and Polymarket to leave the state, or face possible felony charges. The law takes effect in August.

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[–] LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The prohibition extends to services supporting prediction markets, like virtual private networks, that could allow consumers to disguise their location and get around the ban.

I'd like to see if this is just promoting VPNs to circumvent the ban, or if this is actually going to make it harder to use a VPN within the state.

[–] LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 month ago

provides supportive services to a prediction market or consumer knowing that the services will be used to identify a consumer's location, transfer money, or make or process payments for the purpose of allowing consumers to make wagers or to settle wagers made by consumers in violation of this section.

I assume they're using this section to say that VPNs would be banned for this? Still unsure how much this will impact VPNs unless they're advertising it specifically to get around "Prediction Markets."