Czech Republic bans Kalshi

The government of the Czech Republic ordered the Internet service providers (ISPs) to block Kalshi with less than two weeks deadline. On 30 September, Ministry of Finance of Czech Republic added Kalshi to the list of country’s unauthorized gambling operators. With 15 days period, on 15 October, users in the country will lose access to the prediction market site. Jan Řehola, IPRH Director, stated: When Polymarket was added to the list, we said that it was an important precedent, not the end of the matter. The inclusion of Kalshi shows that this approach is now being reflected in practice. What matters should not be the name of the product, but its actual substance. If a person puts money at risk on the uncertain outcome of a real-world event, it should not be possible to circumvent the rules simply by calling the bet a contract or a financial instrument. In this respect, Kalshi is one of the largest platforms designated by the Institute. The Institute states that whether a bet, contract, or financial innovation is performed, it should, in all fairness, come under the umbrella of the same set of rules. Contracts worth about EUR 50.3 billion ($59.2 billion) traded on Kalshi in just September 2026 alone. This was some 48% higher than August’s volume. Kalshi accounted for more than 80% of trading volume of the major prediction platforms under observation. From the start of 2026 to the end of September, it posted a total trading volume of about EUR 203.0 billion ($238.8 billion). Czech Republic already blocked Polymarket, another popular prediction market. Czech authorities claim that prediction markets are actually betting platforms that present themselves as investment instruments. This is a common view shared by regulators in other European countries.