What Bills Could Ban Prediction Markets?
There are 7 active bills moving through Congress targeting prediction markets. They don't all ban the same things. Here's what each one actually does.
All Active Bills — At a Glance
| Bill | Sponsors | What It Would Do | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEATH BETS Act | Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) | Would ban terrorism, assassination, war, and individual death contracts on CFTC-registered exchanges. Does not affect politics, economics, sports, or entertainment markets. | Introduced |
| Prediction Markets Security and Integrity Act | Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) | Would impose stricter registration and disclosure requirements on all PM operators | Introduced |
| End Prediction Market Corruption Act | Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) | Bans president, VP, and members of Congress from trading event contracts | Introduced |
| STOP Corrupt Bets Act | Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) | Would ban retail users from trading on election and government action contracts on CFTC-regulated exchanges | Introduced |
| Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act | Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA) | Would classify prediction market contracts as gambling under federal law; would affect all retail users on all categories | Introduced |
| PREDICT Act | Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) | Would ban Members of Congress, the President, Vice President, senior executive branch officials, and their spouses/dependents from trading on prediction markets tied to political events, policy decisions, or government actions. | Introduced |
| BETS OFF Act | Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI), Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) | Would ban wagering on government actions, terrorism, war, assassination, and any event where an individual knows or controls the outcome. Also targets offshore platforms via payment system restrictions and criminal penalties. | Introduced |
DEATH BETS Act
IntroducedWould ban terrorism, assassination, war, and individual death contracts on CFTC-registered exchanges. Does not affect politics, economics, sports, or entertainment markets.
Blumenthal/Kim Bill
IntroducedWould impose stricter registration and disclosure requirements on all PM operators
Officials Trading Ban
IntroducedBans president, VP, and members of Congress from trading event contracts
STOP Corrupt Bets Act
IntroducedWould ban retail users from trading on election and government action contracts on CFTC-regulated exchanges
Schiff-Curtis Bill
IntroducedWould classify prediction market contracts as gambling under federal law; would affect all retail users on all categories
PREDICT Act
IntroducedWould ban Members of Congress, the President, Vice President, senior executive branch officials, and their spouses/dependents from trading on prediction markets tied to political events, policy decisions, or government actions.
BETS OFF Act
IntroducedWould ban wagering on government actions, terrorism, war, assassination, and any event where an individual knows or controls the outcome. Also targets offshore platforms via payment system restrictions and criminal penalties.
What Would Actually Affect You?
If You're a Regular Trader
- Bills targeting retail access to election markets: 2 (STOP Corrupt Bets Act + Schiff-Curtis Bill, both March 2026)
- The STOP Corrupt Bets Act (Merkley, Mar 27) and Schiff-Curtis Bill (Mar 23) would restrict or ban retail users from trading elections. Finance, economics, and entertainment contracts are not targeted by these bills.
- The DEATH BETS Act only restricts terrorism/assassination/war contracts — a tiny edge case.
If You're a Government Official
- The End Prediction Market Corruption Act would ban the President, VP, and members of Congress from trading event contracts.
- Violations: $10,000+ fine plus disgorgement of profits.
- Does NOT apply to staffers, lobbyists, or regular citizens.
Federal Preemption: Still Unresolved
- No standalone federal bill currently preempts state gambling laws for CFTC-regulated event contract exchanges.
- The outcome of ongoing CFTC-vs-state litigation will likely determine whether federal regulation or state gambling laws control prediction market access.