# New York Attorney General - Prediction Market Enforcement

**Type:** State enforcement action  
**Jurisdiction:** New York  
**Lead:** AG Letitia James  
**Status:** Active litigation (as of April 2026)

## Overview

New York Attorney General's office enforcement actions against prediction market operators, targeting both specialized platforms and mainstream crypto exchanges offering event contracts.

## Timeline

- **2026-04-21** — NY AG sued Coinbase and Gemini, alleging event contracts are "quintessentially gambling," unlawfully available to 18- to 20-year-olds, and operated as illegal unlicensed gambling operations. Issued cease-and-desist letters alongside civil enforcement suits.
- **2026-04-24** — CFTC filed suit in Southern District of New York against NY gaming regulators, seeking declaratory judgment that federal law grants CFTC exclusive authority and permanent injunction preventing NY from enforcing preempted state laws against CFTC registrants.

## Legal Strategy

**Consumer Protection Angle:** NY enforcement emphasizes underage access (18-20 year olds) as a consumer protection issue, creating arguments that may have different preemption analysis than pure gambling licensing requirements.

**Dual Enforcement:** NY used both cease-and-desist letters AND civil suits before CFTC responded, creating immediate operational pressure on platforms.

**Mainstream Platform Targeting:** Unlike earlier state actions focused on specialized prediction market operators, NY targeted Coinbase and Gemini - major crypto exchanges with significant retail user bases.

## Significance

New York's enforcement represents escalation beyond niche prediction market operators to general-purpose crypto exchanges that added prediction market features, expanding platform risk across the crypto ecosystem.

## Related Entities

- [[cftc]] - Federal regulator defending preemption
- [[coinbase-ventures]] - Target of enforcement
- [[gemini]] - Target of enforcement (entity file may need creation)

## Sources

- CoinDesk, April 24, 2026: "CFTC Sues New York After State Targets Coinbase and Gemini Prediction Markets"