Utah Bill Would Make Prop Bets Illegal
Jesse M. Cox Published 20/01/2026
- Utah House Bill 243 seeks to clarify the definition of gambling.
- The bill would make all forms of proposition bets illegal in the state.
- Sports betting is currently illegal in the state of Utah.
A new bill has been introduced in the Utah state legislature. Its stated goal is to clarify the definition of gambling.
Wait, you say. Aren’t all forms of gambling currently illegal in Utah?
You are correct. Gambling is illegal across the state, including sports betting.
So why is this bill necessary?
Well, there’s a new player in town, operating in a grey area between trading and gambling. That would be prediction markets, and those operations have their sights set on Utah. 
That’s why State Representative Joseph Elison has introduced House Bill 243. Elison introduced his bill to the state legislature on January 14.
The bill reads that “this bill clarifies the definition of gambling.” The objectives of the bill are to define a term, clarify that a proposition bet falls within the definition of gambling, and make technical and conforming changes. The bill would amend the state criminal code to make all prop bets involving athletic contests illegal.
Elison is concerned about changes in the sports betting world
A Republican who represents Washington County, Elison is putting forth his bill because he’s concerned by the way the sports betting landscape is changing. He sees those changes offering the potential to create loopholes through which some betting sites could offer their services to people in Utah, thereby skirting the state’s anti-gambling laws.
“Sports are morphing,” Elison told News 4 Utah. “I think sports betting has been a major factor for a long, long time in sports.”
It’s these new sports prediction markets that are of most concern to Utah lawmakers.
“One of the radio stations… mentioned that some of these companies were kind of skirting our laws and allowing betting to go on in the state of Utah,” Elison said.
“Kalshi is what they call a prediction markets platform. The company is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a federal agency, making it legal to use in Utah.”
Elison believes, like many opponents of prediction markets, that these sites are nothing more than sportsbooks in disguise. And much of what they are offering is basically the same as a sports betting prop wager.
“Do I think that a lot of what they do looks, acts, and appears to be sports betting? Yeah, it does,” Elison said, “There’s really nothing we can do on a state level to curb what they are doing.”
By changing the Utah law to clarify what constitutes a prop bet and confirming that those types of bets are definitely against the law in the state, Elison is hopeful that it may give the prediction market sites pause before they make a decision to enter the Utah market.
If it doesn’t stop them, he’s hoping the clarification in the state’s gambling law would give the Utah Attorney-General’s office the required ammunition to fight against the prediction market sites.
“If they don’t stop, then the AG’s office can send them a letter of cease and desist,” Elison said.
If passed into law, HB 243 would go into effect on May 6, 2026.
Bet $10, Get $150 in Bonus Bets If You Win
+10
- 20+ sports available for wagering
- Pre-match and in-play betting
- Unique features like live streaming and boosted odds
up to 100€ Bet Credits
Find out more on bet365's website
- Over 20 sports
- Extensive betting markets
- Live betting feature
New Users – Get $350 in Bonus Bets Guaranteed - When You Bet $5 for 7 Days!
+8
- Deep market coverage across major U.S. sports and leagues
- Same Game Parlay builder is fast and easy to use
- Live betting interface updates quickly with real-time odds