Kalshi bars Indian users after government moves against prediction markets

Kalshi has added India to its list of restricted jurisdictions, preventing users in the country from accessing and trading event contracts on the platform following regulatory action under India’s new online gaming framework.

The update appears in Kalshi’s member agreement dated June 17, which states that users domiciled in, organized in, or located in India are prohibited from participating in markets offered by the company. The move places India among 55 jurisdictions where access to the platform is restricted.

New legislation drives enforcement

The restriction follows the implementation of India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which came into force on May 1, 2026. The legislation prohibits online money games and explicitly includes prediction markets within its scope.

Prior to the law taking effect, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had already begun enforcement efforts against prediction market operators. According to local media reports, the ministry sent Kalshi a letter on April 25 warning the company that Indian users continued to access the platform despite earlier government directives.

Government scrutiny also extended to competing operator Polymarket. Around May 21, MeitY ordered internet service providers to block access to the rival platform before pursuing similar measures against Kalshi.

Kalshi’s website has been inaccessible through multiple Indian internet service providers since the final week of May. Local media reports indicate that the ministry had been preparing a formal blocking order targeting the platform.

VPN access comes under scrutiny

Indian authorities have also focused on methods used to bypass platform restrictions.

In an April communication sent to virtual private network providers, the ministry warned that users were accessing “illegal and blocked prediction market and online betting platforms” through VPN services. The letter stated that providers enabling such access could face legal consequences.

The government action follows concerns that both Kalshi and Polymarket had continued to accept registrations and trading activity from users in India despite regulatory warnings.

Restrictions extend across multiple markets

The addition of India to Kalshi’s restricted jurisdictions list comes as prediction market operators face regulatory action in multiple countries.

Kalshi, which operates as a designated contract market regulated by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has positioned itself as a regulated prediction market platform in the United States. However, its CFTC status does not exempt the company from complying with local laws in foreign jurisdictions.

India joins a growing number of countries taking action against prediction market operators. More than 10 countries have restricted or banned Kalshi, Polymarket, or both during 2026, with measures spanning jurisdictions across Europe and Asia.

For Indian users, the policy change ends access to Kalshi’s event contracts. For the company, the addition of India to its restricted list continues a pattern of geographic contraction as it seeks to expand its product offerings in the US market.