Czech Republic adds Kalshi to unauthorised gambling list; ISP block set for 15 October

The Czech Ministry of Finance has listed the US prediction-market operator Kalshi as an unauthorised gambling operator, with Czech internet providers required to block the platform from 15 October 2026.

The ministry added Kalshi to its register of operators without a Czech gambling licence on 30 September 2026. Under Czech law, a prohibition order gives internet service providers 15 days from publication to block the affected websites, so users in the Czech Republic lose conventional access to Kalshi on 15 October 2026. VPN workarounds remain possible, but the routine route to the platform closes that day.

Second prediction-market block in Prague

The move follows the same treatment for Kalshi’s main rival Polymarket, whose own prohibition order took effect in July 2026. Two blocks inside a single year point to a settled approach in Prague: the Czech regulator treats prediction markets as gambling by substance, whatever the product is called. The listing reportedly came after the Czech Institute for Gambling Regulation (IPRH), an industry body representing more than 90% of the country’s regulated gambling sector, brought Kalshi’s operations to the authorities, though neither the institute nor the ministry has confirmed that account.

IPRH Director Jan Řehola said in a press release that the Polymarket listing was an important precedent, and the inclusion of Kalshi shows the approach is now being reflected in practice.

Europe’s doors keep closing for Kalshi

The Czech block lands on an operator already under pressure across Europe. Spain launched legal action against both Polymarket and Kalshi in May 2026, and regulators in Belgium, France, Romania, Spain and Germany all treat prediction markets as gambling offers. Kalshi and Polymarket operate in the United States under federal oversight by the CFTC, but that status does not carry over to European jurisdictions.

Kalshi has signalled it wants in anyway. Chief Risk Officer Udesh Jha said the company “would love to expand in Europe”. The contrast with Gibraltar is stark: the territory has implemented a dedicated regulatory framework for prediction markets, the first country to do so, and its Gambling Commissioner Andrew Lyman has argued that blocking simply fights consumer demand and that regulating the product is the better path.

Kalshi is reportedly seeking fresh capital at a valuation of approximately $40 billion, and it saw around $60 billion in trading activity in September, according to DeFi Rate. Whether the company challenges the Czech order is not known. The block takes effect on 15 October 2026.

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