Google will ban Chrome Store extensions tied to real-money prediction markets starting Aug. 1, adding new pressure on Polymarket and Kalshi.
Key Points:
- Google updated Chrome Store rules to prohibit extensions that enable real-money transactions on predictive outcomes.
- Enforcement is scheduled to begin Aug. 1, 2026.
- The change lands as Kalshi and Polymarket face scrutiny over sports-related event contracts.
Google Ban
Google disclosed the change in an update to its Developer Program policies, saying the Chrome Store will now treat predictive markets as prohibited products.
“Extensions that facilitate or enable real money transactions on predictive outcomes are not allowed,” the company said in the policy update.
The rule is set to take effect Aug. 1, 2026, and Google said extensions out of compliance after that date may face enforcement action from the Chrome Web Store.
The move does not ban prediction markets themselves, but it cuts off one distribution channel for tools that help users access real-money markets through Chrome extensions.
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Kalshi Scrutiny
The policy shift comes as prediction market operators face broader legal and reputational pressure, especially around markets that resemble sports betting.
CoinGape reported that Spotify challenged prediction market platforms after identifying and removing more than 500,000 artificial streams tied to Malcolm Todd’s song “Earrings.”
Kalshi had settled a market linked to those artificial streams, according to the report, raising fresh questions about how platforms handle manipulated events.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also criticized Kalshi after the state won a court fight over its case against the platform. “Gamble with our laws and you’re going to lose. Just ask Kalshi,” she wrote on X. The state’s attorney general has argued that Kalshi tried to avoid New York gambling laws, while Judge Torres rejected the company’s request for a preliminary injunction involving sports-related event contracts.
The dispute reflects a larger fight over whether sports-linked event contracts are federally regulated financial products or illegal gambling under state law, a question that has followed prediction markets as they moved into mainstream consumer events.
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