B.C. Regulator Declares Prediction Markets Illegal Gambling

The Independent Gambling Control Office declared on August 28, 2026, that prediction market trading based on sports or entertainment outcomes constitutes unregulated gambling and is illegal within British Columbia. The provincial regulator specifically identified platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi as offering illegal trading products to users in the province.

This ruling follows a joint notice from the Canadian Securities Administrators and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization, which determined that event and prediction contracts should not be regulated as securities or derivatives. This federal clarification shifted the oversight of these platforms toward gambling regulations.

Under current provincial law, online gambling is permitted exclusively through the PlayNow platform, which is operated by the B.C. Lottery Corporation. The regulator stated that any unregulated operator offering products based on sports or entertainment outcomes to B.C. users is operating illegally.