Legislative Deadlines Highlight This Week’s Gambling Stories to Watch

A series of legislative deadlines highlight this week’s gambling stories to watch, as lawmakers in Virginia, Florida, Illinois, Hawaii and other states face tight timelines to advance gambling-related measures.

Elsewhere, debates over issues such as sweepstakes casino bans could continue. At the same time, prediction markets remain under scrutiny amid concerns about insider trading as they approach the next major trading event tied to contracts: March Madness.

Here are the gambling stories to watch this week.

Legislative Deadline Watch

Virginia: Can iGaming Solution Be Found Before March 14

Several gambling bills passed both the Senate and House in Virginia. However, after the chambers rejected each other’s amendments, the measures were sent to conference committees.

Lawmakers face a tight deadline, though, as the Virginia General Assembly adjourns on March 14.

Issues that must be resolved this week include competing proposals on iGaming, skill games, DFS regulation, the creation of a gambling regulator and a Fairfax County casino.

If negotiators reach an agreement this week, lawmakers would still need to approve the conference report in both chambers before adjournment.

What to Watch:

Can lawmakers find a solution, and will it have enough time for each chamber to pass it?

Florida: Can SB 1580 Clear the House Before Session Ends?

Florida’s legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on March 13, creating a tight window for remaining gambling bills, including SB 1580, which passed the Senate last week.

However, lawmakers must prioritize the bill for it to advance. In the Senate, it passed through three committees and will likely need to pass through at least one House committee, where it has yet to receive an assignment.

The bill is one of several introduced this session to address illegal gambling in the state. While many lawmakers, including Attorney General James Uthmeier, support tightening gambling laws, SB 1580 remains the only bill with a real chance of passing.

There’s also HB 189, which advanced through three House committees but has been awaiting a second floor vote since Feb. 13.

What to Watch:

Will SB 1580 get a House committee hearing and a floor vote in time?

Hawaii: SB3281, HB 2198 Face Crossover Deadlines

Hawaii lawmakers face a March 12 crossover deadline, meaning bills must pass their chamber of origin to remain alive this session. While some gambling-related bills have stalled, two measures targeting illegal gambling have a realistic path to crossover.

One is SB 3281, which establishes a new criminal offense targeting illegal electronic gambling devices. The measure passed second reading in the Senate on March 6. However, because Hawaii requires a 48-hour notice before the third reading, lawmakers are scheduled to vote on it again on March 10.

The same rule applies to HB 2198, which would define prediction markets as illegal gambling. The measure is on the March 10 House schedule.

What to Watch:

Whether SB 3281 and HB 2198 receive a third vote and whether they advance to the other chamber.

Illinois: Multiple Gambling Bills Face Senate Committee Deadline

March 13 is the deadline for all Senate bills to advance from the committee stage. Key gambling-related measures to watch include:

• SB 3723, an iGaming legalization proposal
• SB 4168, a bill regulating prediction markets in Illinois
• SB 3439, targeting sweepstakes-style casino operations

None is scheduled for a hearing this week, but that could change. If they do not receive a committee vote before the deadline, they will likely be dead for the current session.

What to Watch:

Last-minute hearings on any of the above bills.

Washington: Prop-Bet Expansion Bill Nears Final Stage

In what many consider a move against industry trends, Washington lawmakers are on the cusp of passing SB 6137, which would allow certain college sports prop bets. The measure passed the House last week after passing the Senate in February. As the House amended the bill, it returns to the Senate for concurrence.

Lawmakers have a few days to pass the measure as the legislative session ends on March 12.

What to Watch:

Whether the Senate accepts the House’s amendment. That would lead Washington to expand college prop betting at a time when several other states are moving in the opposite direction.

Wyoming: Only a Few Days Left

Wyoming’s session adjourns on March 11. The state saw a few gambling-related bills this session, including measures addressing pari-mutuel betting, social betting and skill-game machines, as well as addressing money laundering.

Last week, the House also rejected a Senate proposal to create a legislative gaming committee.

What to Watch:

Any last-minute passage or rejection of gambling-related bills.

West Virginia: No Tax Increase Likely

Another state that is adjourning its 2026 legislative session is West Virginia on March 14. A few proposals tied to pari-mutuel betting are still active, so this week, lawmakers will likely pass or reject them.

Lawmakers also considered a proposal to increase sportsbook and iGaming taxes to 25%, up from 10% and 15% respectively, though the measure failed to gain traction.

What to Watch:

Whether lawmakers pass bills like SB 1060 and HB 5464, which address pari-mutuel betting and the horse racing industry.

Other Developments to Watch

Louisiana: Legislative Session Opens With Gambling Bills Prefiled

While several states are facing deadlines, Louisiana opens its session on March 9 with gambling legislation already on the agenda. Lawmakers have prefiled several measures addressing topics including:

• Sweepstakes casino ban
• Sports betting prop and micro bet prohibition
• iLottery authorization
• Bans on bettors who harass athletes

What to Watch:

The next step will be whether these bills receive committee assignments and hearing dates in the opening weeks of the session.

Maryland: iGaming, Poker and Sweepstakes Hearings Scheduled

Maryland lawmakers will hold hearings on March 11 on several Senate bills tied to online gambling expansion and enforcement, including:

• Online casino legalization
• Online poker
• Sweepstakes-style gambling platforms

Last week, lawmakers in the House held hearings on online casino legalization and sweepstakes casino ban bills. The iGaming bill received significant backlash, with no testimonies in support.

At the same time, the sweepstakes casino prohibition measure received support from casino operators and gaming regulators.

The committees heard testimony but did not vote on any measure.

What to Watch:

Testimony supporting and opposing iGaming expansion and sweepstakes casino bans. Lawmaker comments that could signal sentiment on the proposals and potential votes.

Tennessee, Oklahoma, Maine, and Iowa: Possible Sweepstakes Ban Bills Hearings

While not scheduled, several other states could discuss sweepstakes casino ban bills this week.

Last week, the Tennessee and Oklahoma Senates passed prohibition measures, sending them to the respective House. They joined Iowa, where the Senate also passed a bill that could target sweepstakes casinos by granting the state regulator greater enforcement authority.

Meanwhile, in Maine, LD 2007 finally received a committee report more than two weeks after the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted 8-2 with three absences.

What to Watch:

Whether any of the bills appear on committee schedules or whether the Maine Legislature puts LD 2007 up for a floor vote.

Indiana: Governor’s Signature Pending on HB 1052

Indiana lawmakers have already approved HB 1052, which would ban sweepstakes casinos, with both chambers adopting the conference committee report in late February.

Legislative leaders signed the bill last week, leaving only the governor’s signature before it becomes law.

What to Watch:

If the governor signs the measure this week, Indiana would prohibit online platforms that utilize a “dual-currency or multi-currency system of payment” effective July 1, 2026.

Prediction Markets

March Madness Could Test Prediction Market Volume

The upcoming March Madness tournament could be the next major activity driver for sports event prediction markets.

On Kalshi, the “Men’s College Basketball Champion” already has a $42 million trading volume. Duke leads with a 24% probability, trailed closely by Michigan with 21%.

What to Watch:

Thirty-one of the 68 tournament spots will be clinched in the final days before Selection Sunday on March 15. Watch for increased trading volume as the tournament nears and any last-minute movements in the win probability.

Insider Trading Questions Continue to Surface

Last week, reports surfaced on possible insider trading related to Super Bowl markets across U.S. college campuses.

Kalshi confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that it is investigating some of these markets for possible insider trading.

In late February, the platform publicly disclosed that it had closed two insider trading cases, which many industry observers saw as a positive step amid growing questions on how effectively prediction markets can detect insider trading.

What to Watch:

Whether Kalshi provides updates on any potential insider trading cases.

More Class Actions Possible After Iran Market Dispute

Last week, Kalshi faced significant backlash over its settlement methodology for markets tied to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. A class-action lawsuit was filed in California, and one law firm is investigating Kalshi for deceptive and unfair settlement practices and for possible breaches of its obligations to users.

What to Watch:

Additional class-action lawsuits or other legal challenges to Kalshi’s settlement of the Khamenei market.