The legal dispute between regulators and betting sites continues.
Google has confirmed that prediction market contracts and products are no longer allowed to be advertised using its Google Ads service in the state of Ohio.
“In June 2026, Google will update our Prediction markets policy in the United States to prohibit the advertisement of prediction markets contracts and related products ads in Ohio,” the company confirmed in its Help Centre.
“Consequently, advertising of prediction markets and related products in Ohio is prohibited effective June 2, 2026.”
Previously, the prediction markets policy held exemptions for Ohio and Nevada as the only approved target locations for the advertising category – with Ohio to be added from 2 June onwards.
An Ohio federal court recently denied a motion by one of the only Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulated prediction market exchanges, Kalshi, for a preliminary injunction against state regulators earlier in 2026.
The judge determined that Kalshi had failed to demonstrate that its sports-event contracts fell under the CFTC’s jurisdiction, therefore the enforcement could not be blocked.
Sports-events contracts on such platforms are categorised as unlicensed gambling under Ohio state law, which forms the basis of the restrictions from Google.
Since federal courts have declined to protect the platforms from state enforcement, and since the legal status of the prediction markets is actively contested – Google and advertisers would be exposed to risk through the platform should the ads be shown.
Kalshi has also found itself at the centre of legal disputes in Europe, as Spain has launched regulatory action against itself and fellow prediction market firm, Polymarket.
Both companies are accused by the regulator of operating in Spain without the correct required gambling licenses. As such, the country joins a long list of states which have brought action against prediction markets including Germany, Italy, France, and Portugal.
