# Utah Files Criminal Charges Against Kalshi and Co-Founders Over Alleged Online Gambling

By Riza Dagoc

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/43174
Published: 2026-10-29T04:34:08.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-29T04:34:08.000Z
Section: Regulation

> The 14-count case includes 13 felonies and one misdemeanor. Kalshi called the move “wild overreach” and said it would contest the charges in court.

Utah's attorney general's office filed criminal charges against prediction market Kalshi and co-founders Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara, accusing them of promoting online gambling in the state.

The case includes 14 counts: one second-degree felony alleging a pattern of unlawful activity, 12 third-degree felonies alleging promotion of online gambling, and one misdemeanor alleging general gambling promotion. Prosecutors said undercover investigators confirmed their location in Utah before placing 12 sports bets through Kalshi.

The filing links the prosecution to betting activity inside Utah, while the charge list also includes broader allegations of unlawful gambling promotion. Kalshi called the move “wild overreach” and said it would fight the charges in court.

The filing puts Utah's authority to apply gambling rules to prediction markets into a criminal proceeding. The charge breakdown separates the alleged pattern offense from the 12 online-promotion counts and the misdemeanor general-promotion count. Kalshi's planned court challenge is the next stated step.