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Being fought in court

Is Polymarket legal in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island sued Polymarket alongside Kalshi on May 21, 2026.

Checked Oct 27, 2026 against court dockets and official pages. Not legal advice.

Polymarket in Rhode Island

Status
Being fought in court
Latest step in Rhode Island
May 28, 2026
State income tax
3.75% to 5.99%
Gambling losses
No

Legal status

Where does Polymarket stand in Rhode Island?

As of October 27, 2026, we found no court order in force stopping prediction markets in Rhode Island. The attorney general sued Kalshi and Polymarket in May 2026 asking a court to declare their sports contracts are sports betting, and Kalshi sued state officials in federal court. The federal commodities regulator moved to join the fight on Kalshi's side of the legal question.

Polymarket · 1 step

What has happened with Polymarket in Rhode Island?

Oldest first. Each links to the filing or page it comes from.
  1. May 21, 2026

    Attorney general · Rhode Island Attorney General · State of Rhode Island v. KalshiEX LLC and Polymarket (No. 1:26-cv-00333 (D.R.I.))

    Attorney General Neronha sued Kalshi and Polymarket in state court, asking for a ruling that their sports contracts are sports betting under state law, plus a permanent bar, restitution and disgorgement. A federal docket for the state's case was opened May 22.

    Attorney General press release

Same state

What else has happened in Rhode Island?

Steps that name other platforms or the state's rules generally.
  1. Apr 24, 2026

    Attorney general · Rhode Island Attorney General · Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. KalshiEX LLC (amicus brief) (SJC-13906)

    Attorney General Neronha signed the 38-state friend-of-the-court brief backing Massachusetts against Kalshi. It states Rhode Island's legal position and does not change what traders can do.

    Multistate amicus brief, SJC-13906
  2. May 21, 2026

    Court · U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island · KalshiEx LLC v. Furcolo (No. 1:26-cv-00327)

    Kalshi sued Rhode Island officials in federal court.

    CourtListener docket, KalshiEx v. Furcolo
  3. May 28, 2026

    Regulator · U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission · KalshiEx LLC v. Furcolo (motion to intervene) (D.R.I.)

    The federal commodities regulator moved to join the federal case to stop Rhode Island from applying state gambling law to exchanges it registers.

    CFTC press release 9238-26

Your taxes

What does this mean for your Rhode Island taxes?

Rhode Island taxes gambling winnings and prediction market profits as income (3.75% to 5.99%). It doesn't let you deduct gambling losses, so gambling winnings are taxed in full on your state return.

Rhode Island's 2025 income tax rates run from 3.75% to 5.99%, with 5.99% on taxable income over $181,650.

Rhode Island doesn't allow itemized deductions. The RI-1040 uses a Rhode Island standard deduction on line 4, so gambling losses don't reduce your Rhode Island income.

Federal tax applies wherever you live. The IRS hasn’t said how event contracts are taxed, so traders use one of four methods: capital gains, Section 1256, ordinary income or gambling. Polymarket taxes, explained. All Rhode Island tax rules.

A court fight doesn’t change what you already owe. Positions you closed still count in the year they closed, so download your records now, whatever happens with access in your state.

Ask your AI

Ask your AI about Polymarket in Rhode Island

Answer a few questions and we write the prompt for ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity or any AI. It carries the four tax methods, your state’s rule and links to the pages behind them, checked November 3, 2026. Or run your actual trades for exact figures, free.

Tax year
Up or down this year?
Open positions on December 31?
Add rough numbers (optional)

The AI can then work the methods out for your year. Round figures are enough.

Your prompt

2,236 characters

I trade prediction markets on Polymarket US. I'm working on my US federal taxes for 2026. I live in Rhode Island.

From WagerMints, checked November 3, 2026:
- Polymarket US is a separate, CFTC-regulated exchange from polymarket.com.
- We haven't been able to confirm what Polymarket US reports to the IRS, so check the account's documents.
- The IRS has published no guidance on how event contracts are taxed.

Four ways traders report this:
1. Capital gains: Form 8949 and Schedule D, short- or long-term by holding period. Net losses offset up to $3,000 of other income a year, and the rest carries forward.
2. Section 1256: Form 6781, 60% long-term and 40% short-term however long I held. Positions open on December 31 count as sold at that day's value. Disputed: Camuso and Mukherjee (Tax Notes Federal, June 2026) conclude it isn't available, White & Case argues for it, and the CFTC's October 2026 proposal to call event contracts swaps cuts against it, because Section 1256 excludes swaps.
3. Ordinary income: net result on Schedule 1, line 8z.
4. Gambling: winnings on Schedule 1, line 8b. Losses only on Schedule A if I itemize, only up to winnings, and only 90% of them from 2026.

Rhode Island: Rhode Island taxes gambling winnings and prediction market profits as income (3.75% to 5.99%). It doesn't let you deduct gambling losses, so gambling winnings are taxed in full on your state return.
Legal status there: As of October 27, 2026, we found no court order in force stopping prediction markets in Rhode Island.

Read these pages:
- https://wagermints.com/polymarket-taxes
- https://wagermints.com/blog/how-to-report-kalshi-polymarket-taxes
- https://wagermints.com/state-taxes/rhode-island
- https://wagermints.com/legal/polymarket/rhode-island

My question: How would my year come out under each of the four methods?

How to answer:
- Say which links you opened, and never describe one you didn't open. If one fails, use the facts above and say so.
- Mark each point [linked source], [general tax rule] or [unsettled].
- Put the methods side by side in one table for my year, and state any number you assume.
- Don't pick a method for me. End with questions for a CPA or enrolled agent, then anything you need from me.

WagerMints doesn’t see or store what you type here. The prompt goes to the AI you pick, under that company’s terms. Never add your Social Security number, API keys or wallet keys. AI answers can be wrong, so check them against the linked sources and a preparer.

Questions

Questions about Polymarket in Rhode Island

Is Polymarket legal in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island sued Polymarket alongside Kalshi on May 21, 2026. This reports public records as of Oct 27, 2026, and it isn't legal advice.

Can I still trade on Polymarket in Rhode Island?

Check the app, because platforms change what they offer by state and by contract type. This page tracks court and regulator actions, not each platform's product list.

Do I owe tax on Polymarket profit in Rhode Island?

Yes, federal tax applies wherever you live. Rhode Island taxes gambling winnings and prediction market profits as income (3.75% to 5.99%). It doesn't let you deduct gambling losses, so gambling winnings are taxed in full on your state return.

Does the Rhode Island legal fight change how my trades are taxed?

No. These cases decide whether Rhode Island can license or stop the platforms. They don't decide how your trades are taxed. IRS Publication 525 says income from illegal activities must be reported too, so a state's win wouldn't remove tax on profit you already made.

More

Other pages on this

Other platforms in Rhode Island: Kalshi.

Polymarket in other states: Wisconsin, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and the full list.