sa国际传媒官网网页入口

The federal government has thrown its weight behind the New York-based prediction market company Kalshi Inc., which faces a New Mexico lawsuit alleging its sports-betting app violates state gambling laws.

New Mexico is the latest state targeted by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission over state efforts to rein in the activities of sports-betting platforms like Kalshi.

The United States and the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed the suit last week in U.S. District Court in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 against New Mexico Attorney General Ra煤l Torrez, as well as other state officials and agencies.

The suit is a response to a lawsuit Torrez filed on June 4 in state district court, alleging Kalshi鈥檚 sports-betting app functions as a sportsbook in violation of state gambling laws and allows people under age 21 to gamble on sporting events.

鈥淭he only lawful gaming in New Mexico operates either under tribal-state gaming compacts, or under strict state regulations to ensure honest gaming free from corruption,鈥� Torrez said at the time. 鈥淜alshi has ignored that framework entirely while offering online sports betting within the state.鈥�

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is asking a judge to issue an injunction that would block New Mexico鈥檚 effort to bring Kalshi under the purview of the state鈥檚 Gaming Control Act.

The suit argues that New Mexico law is subordinate to federal law, which gives the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission 鈥渆xclusive jurisdiction鈥� to regulate what it describes as 鈥渆vent contracts,鈥� 鈥渟waps鈥� or derivatives.

鈥淭he event contracts targeted by New Mexico are 鈥榮waps鈥� under the federal CEA (Commodities Exchange Act),鈥� the suit contends. 鈥淣ew Mexico is not the first State that has attempted to invade the Commission鈥檚 exclusive jurisdiction over swaps.鈥�

The federal agency has filed similar lawsuits against seven other states that have attempted to regulate 鈥渟ports-related events contracts,鈥� the agency said on its website.

鈥淭he United States and the CFTC bring this action to halt (New Mexico鈥檚) efforts to prohibit the operation of derivatives markets governed by federal law,鈥� the suit said.

Torrez鈥檚 office did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment about the new lawsuit.

The state action followed a federal suit filed in May by three New Mexico pueblos and the Mescalero Apache Tribe, alleging Kalshi offers sports betting on tribal lands in violation of federal gambling laws and state-tribal compacts.

The two New Mexico lawsuits add to a growing list of legal actions nationwide that pit states and tribes against sports-wagering platforms for control of gambling within their jurisdictions.

Olivier Uyttebrouck covers the court system. You can reach him at olivier@abqjournal.com.