By McKenzie Romero | Editor
Since the day it became a state, Utah law has banned gambling. That extends to prediction markets, the Utah Attorney General’s Office says in a new civil lawsuit against Kalshi.
The Beehive State is looking to recoup more than $60 million Utahns are estimated to have paid in fees to the popular prediction market platform, as well as damages for “gambling-related” harm to Utahns’ mental health.
In today’s Dispatch we lay out the state’s move against Kalshi and its message to similar platforms, where state auditors see gaps in utility providers’ cybersecurity efforts, and why new housing construction around the country is stuck at 2020 levels.
“Effectively, Kalshi bet today that Utah would not enforce its gambling laws. Well, we are enforcing it. So on that point, Kalshi has now lost their bet.” — Utah Attorney General Derek Brown announcing the state’s civil lawsuit against the prediction market platform.
Kalshi photo illustration, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)
By Katie McKellar
The Utah Attorney General’s office estimates that Kalshi has made between about $30.6 million and $61.2 million in fees from “illegal wagers” placed by more than 32,000 verified users in Utah as of Monday — “a number that is increasing each day in which the Kalshi Enterprise operates in the state,” the complaint says.
Asked why his office is targeting Kalshi and not other prediction markets or gambling platforms, Utah Attorney General Derek Brown said his office is “focusing on Kalshi” for now, “but for other companies that are operating here in Utah,” he urged them to read the complaint and follow Utah law.
Transmission lines lead away from the coal-fired Intermountain Power Plant near Delta, Utah on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
By Alixel Cabrera
Rocky Mountain Power, Utah’s largest electricity provider has “mature” cybersecurity tools, but the Utah Legislature may consider additional oversight for it and municipal utilities after legislative auditors determined that direct federal and state supervision on the protocols is limited.
Smaller municipal providers’ lack of planning for incident response could contribute to longer lasting power outages if a cyberattack were to occur. Those extended disruptions could affect critical infrastructure like hospitals, drinking water and sewage treatment systems, the audit says, as well as schools and transportation.
A new housing subdivision is under construction in the Heber Valley on Sept. 19, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch)
STATELINE
By Tim Henderson
Single-family home completions remain stuck at early pandemic levels as of September as costs, labor supply shortages and high interest take a toll on home builders, especially in the Northeast and South.
New single–family homes dropped to an annual rate of 840,000, the lowest since May 2020, according to new U.S. Census Bureau survey results released Oct. 20. Apartment building was a more mixed picture, down nationally but up sharply in the Midwest (53%) and West (18%).
RECENT DISPATCHES
Trump renews call for New Mexico name change | Source NM Staff
MORE UTAH NEWS
Thanks for reading Your Daily Dispatch. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.