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Baltimore sues Kalshi and Polymarket, calling prediction markets illegal sports betting. By Chevall Pryce and Brian Carlton, The Baltimore Sun The Tribune Content Agency August 13, 2026 6:11 PM Gift Article Baltimore City is suing prediction-market companies Kalshi and Polymarket, accusing them of using a legal loophole to offer sports betting in Maryland without complying with state gambling laws. The lawsuit asks a judge to stop the companies from accepting transactions from city residents and to order civil penalties, restitution for customers and the return of profits earned through the alleged violations. The complaint alleges the companies offer transactions that function like sportsbook wagers but label them "event contracts" and "prediction market trades." "These companies are running sportsbooks without licenses and betting that a new label will put them above the law," Mayor Brandon Scott said. "It won't. Baltimore will not let multibillion-dollar companies put profits over people and harm our communities through illegal gambling." Polymarket disputed the city's authority to regulate it. "City-specific action runs counter to the CFTC's established framework for regulating prediction markets," a Polymarket spokesperson said. "As courts have recognized, prediction markets on CFTC-registered exchanges are governed by federal law, not a patchwork of state and local rules." Kalshi also disputed the city's claims, saying it is federally regulated and complies with consumer protection laws. "People use regulated prediction markets like Robinhood, Kalshi and CME because they're neutral, fair and transparent marketplaces," the spokesperson said. "Kalshi spent years getting regulated by the federal government and abides by all applicable regulations, including consumer protection laws. If the Mayor has genuine concerns about guardrails, we're always happy to chat. In the meantime, we will defend these claims in court." Who regulates prediction markets? Baltimore's lawsuits come as a federal appeals court is considering whether Maryland can regulate prediction markets, putting the state at the center of a growing national fight over who has authority over the platforms. In 2025, Kalshi sued Maryland after state gambling regulators ordered it to stop offering sports-related event contracts, calling them unlicensed sports betting. Maryland has argued that the contracts are gambling and therefore subject to state law. A federal judge ruled against Kalshi later that year, declining to block Maryland's enforcement action. Kalshi appealed the decision, and the case is now before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court heard arguments in May but had not ruled as of Aug. 13. The legal battle comes as prediction markets have rapidly expanded into sports. Fortune and Gambling Capital estimate that prediction markets accounted for about 27% of legal U.S. sports-betting volume during the World Cup. How the platforms work. Kalshi and Polymarket became prominent in 2024 by allowing users to trade contracts tied to the outcomes of real-life events, including presidential elections, sports games, award shows and live television. Markets have included questions about how many people will be deported during the Trump presidency and what words a sports announcer will say during a broadcast. The companies distinguish themselves from sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel by describing their platforms as exchanges where users trade event contracts with one another rather than bet against the house. Baltimore's Law Department disputes that distinction. The city's complaint says Polymarket has an in-house market-making operation that can take positions opposite customers and profit from price movements. The Law Department said in the complaint that Polymarket therefore "functions much like a traditional sportsbook, where users effectively trade against the house rather than other bettors." Instead of generating income from customers' losing bets, Kalshi and Polymarket collect transaction fees. Both operate under federal regulatory frameworks, but Baltimore officials argue that federal oversight does not shield their sports contracts from Maryland's gambling laws. That distinction has practical consequences for Maryland customers. Licensed sportsbooks and sports gambling platforms are restricted to people 21 and older in the state, while Kalshi and Polymarket allow people 18 and older to use their platforms. City claims local ordinances were violated. Baltimore's Law Department alleges the companies also violated the Baltimore Consumer Protection Ordinance by making gambling easily accessible while providing misleading information about how their wagers work. "Kalshi and Polymarket cannot circumvent Baltimore's consumer protections by repackaging gambling as something else or claiming federal regulation puts them beyond the reach of our laws," City Solicitor Ebony Thompson said. "The City will continue to use its consumer protection authority to stop deceptive and unlawful conduct and hold companies accountable when they put our residents at risk." Baltimore's counsel argues that the companies' lower age threshold circumvents Maryland gambling laws and could make gambling addiction more likely. Multiple other cities and municipalities are suing Kalshi and Polymarket for similar reasons, including Arizona, Utah and New York. Baltimore has previously sued FanDuel, DraftKings, Stake.us and Chumba Casino over alleged deceptive marketing and gambling-related harm.

Carpenters' leader appointed chair of Baltimore wage commision. Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters' Representative John Barber was sworn in as chair of the Baltimore City Wage Commission in early August. After serving as a member of the Baltimore City Wage Commission for several years, Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters' Representative John Barber is stepping into a new role as the commission chair. He was officially sworn in by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on August 3, 2026. As he looks ahead to his tenure as commission chair, Barber says he is focused on bringing transparency to city job sites, specifically regarding the posting of wage rates. "Currently, it's not specified where it has to be," he noted, explaining in a Zoom interview earlier this week that required wage rates are often posted inside job trailers, where average workers have no reason to go. "That's gonna be one of my goals as the chair," he added, "to help implement getting more specific things on the books for where these postings need to be... so workers coming in and out of a job can see." "It is a privilege to serve the working people of Baltimore, who unfortunately get cheated on jobs daily." - John Barber, Representative Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters The Wage Commission is a five-member body appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council, consisting of experienced individuals dedicated to ensuring that the city's wage laws are followed correctly. The commission is responsible for enforcing minimum wage, living wage and prevailing wage laws, as well as the city's Displaced Service Workers Protection law. To oversee these efforts and hear ongoing cases, the commission holds public meetings on the first Thursday of every month. Members of the commission serve as uncompensated volunteer board members and do not receive a salary or pay for their service. The previous chair was Sheryl Wood, who served for more than 10 years on the commission. Barber underscored that wage theft is a widespread and significant issue in Baltimore City. "It is a huge problem," he said. "Unfortunately, enough workers don't want to speak up. They're scared, they don't know their rights." He noted that misclassification of job titles is one of the most common ways contractors fail to pay workers what they should be paid, with immigrant workers often being the target of such exploitation. "Typically, the contractors like to pay everyone as 'laborers' instead of electricians or plumbers or carpenters," he said. "That happens every day." Even, he added, when they are explicitly doing the work of one of those skilled trades. To address such systemic issues, the commission is authorized to investigate complaints, inspect payroll records without prior notice and formulate educational programs designed to eliminate substandard wages. The city employs a task force of four investigators who proactively police job sites. The commission's work recently entered a new era with the implementation of "LCP Tracker," a digital database that Barber says enables investigators to be "proactive instead of reactive" by scrutinizing payrolls more efficiently than the previous paper-based system. The urgency of this work is underscored by national data regarding wage theft. A recent study found that Maryland leads U.S. states in wage theft violations. The study analyzed U.S. Department of Labor data and calculated that companies in Maryland committed 12,639 wage theft violations over three years, with an average of $2,221 in back wages owed per employee. Despite such challenges, Barber says he is deeply committed to the commission's mission of protecting Baltimore's wage earners. "It is a privilege to serve the working people of Baltimore," he said, "who unfortunately get cheated on jobs daily." He added that he intends to push for stricter consequences for repeat offenders: "I do plan on being the first to make some recommendations in regards to debarment, because we do have repeat offenders that continually come in there month after month."

Baltimore marks Overdose Awareness Day with free resource fair. Published: 08/11/2026 | Author: Terri For families who have lost someone to opioid addiction, the last weekend in August has become a fixed point on the calendar. The Baltimore City Health Department will hold its International Overdose Awareness Day event on Saturday, August 29. The event promises to bring city agencies, community organizations, peer recovery specialists, and Baltimore families into one park for the afternoon. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Catherine/ABC Park Playground in the southwest corner of the city. The observance marks Maryland's commitment to combating substance misuse on multiple levels, from inpatient care to local grassroots Narcotics Anonymous chapters. Indeed, Overdose Awareness Day is open to all ages and complete with free community resources, food and treats and children's activities. The event. A resource fair runs the full five hours, with agencies and community groups on site. The published schedule includes a poetry performance at noon and remarks from invited guests from about 12:10 to 1 p.m. The health department describes the day as an opportunity to honor lives lost, share the stories of people who died, and connect attendees to resources. Nevertheless, although pharmaceuticals have improved opioid distribution and prescriptions to cut down on dependencies, each loss still means a grieving family and devastated communities. International Overdose Awareness Day is observed annually on August 31. Cities frequently hold their public events on the nearest weekend, which is why Baltimore's falls on the 29th. Baltimore's overdose numbers. Baltimore has carried the highest overdose mortality rate of any large American metro area for years. That's beginning to change. Fatal overdoses in the city fell from 1,043 in 2023 to 777 in 2024, with an estimated 568 in 2025, according to Maryland Department of Health data. Statewide, Maryland recorded a decline of roughly 26% in fatal overdoses in 2025, reaching a 10-year low. These counts are preliminary and typically rise somewhat as medical examiner investigations close. The city's Mayor's Office of Overdose Response published an Overdose Response Strategic Plan to cut fatal overdoses in half by 2040. The program revolves around expanded naloxone distribution, mobile treatment, peer overdose response programs and harm reduction services. Public health officials have cautioned that citywide declines can conceal sharp increases in individual neighborhoods. Holding the gains depends on sustained investment where risk remains highest. Behind the decline. Officials haven't attributed the drop to any single cause. The city's strategic plan commits to a public dashboard and a two-year review cycle so the city can report which pieces are working. Naloxone supply has expanded sharply alongside those declines. Maryland distributed a record 440,000 doses statewide in 2025, according to state data. Maryland's Special Secretary of Overdose Response has publicly described the trend as measurable progress rather than chance. Fentanyl and a shifting drug supply. Still, the crisis continues. Opioids include prescription medications and street drugs like fentanyl. Fentanyl is significantly deadlier than heroin and is often present in other drugs without the person knowing. That's why overdoses can occur on a first exposure or after a period of not using. Signs of an opioid overdose include stopped breathing, unresponsiveness, blue or gray lips and fingertips and gurgling or choking sounds. Call 911 without delay and give naloxone if available. Fentanyl remains the principal driver of overdose deaths, but the supply itself is changing. Laboratory data found the share of patients testing positive for methamphetamine more than doubled between 2023 and 2025, rising from 2% to 5%, with stimulant use appearing more often without fentanyl alongside it. Cocaine still accounts for most stimulant use in Maryland. For anyone using or supporting someone who uses, keep in mind that a supply that constantly changes makes any single assumption about what a substance contains unreliable. Treatment and peer support for opioid addiction. Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan, reverses an opioid overdose. It has no effect on someone who has not taken opioids. If you administer it to someone who doesn't need it, nothing will happen. Medications for opioid use disorder remain the most effective treatments available for opioid addiction and are supported by extensive clinical evidence. They're frequently combined with counseling, and Maryland Medicaid covers them. Peer support works alongside medication rather than in competition with it. Narcotics Anonymous is a free, member-run fellowship for people recovering from drug addiction, and Baltimore has an active meeting network including open meetings that anyone may attend and closed meetings for people who identify as having an addiction. Peer recovery specialists will be present at the August 29 event and can connect people to treatment and support based on their own recovery experience. Recovery paths differ. Some people use medication, some use NA or another fellowship, some use therapy or residential treatment, and many combine several. No option requires choosing one at the expense of another. Help in Baltimore. Getting started with NA is often a first and lasting step towards recovery. To find a meeting in any neighborhood across the nation, browse its meeting directory. Narcotics has filters for virtual meetings, Spanish-language meetings and beginners meetings. You can also dial 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to speak with an expert and explore treatment options. the Take-Away For families who have lost someone to opioid addiction, the last weekend in August has become a fixed point on the calendar. The Baltimore City Health Department will hold its International Overdose Awareness Day event on Saturday, August 29. The event promises to bring city agencies, community organizations, peer recovery specialists, and Baltimore families into...