# Novig legal states: where you can trade

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Canonical: https://novigapi.com/novig-legal-states
Facts checked: 2026-11-12

Novig is available in 47 states and Washington, DC; it excludes Arizona, Michigan and Nevada. Eligibility follows your physical location when you trade, not where you live, and you must be 21 or older. That is Novig's own states page, last updated on 10 November 2026. (Source: [Novig: What states is Novig available in? (updated 10 Nov 2026)](https://novig.com/blog/novig-states-where-you-can-play-novig))

## Why Novig is not licensed state by state

A sportsbook needs a license in every state it serves. Novig takes a different route: its exchange, Ludlow Exchange, LLC, is a designated contract market regulated by the CFTC, which listed its designation date as 16 June 2026. Novig's help center says the contracts are federally regulated derivatives, so its legal basis rests on federal law rather than state sports-betting licenses. That is why it can list nearly every state at once.

## How the location check works

- Eligibility depends on where you physically are when you trade, not your billing address, mailing address or residence.
- The app checks your device's location each time you open it to trade. If location permission is off, you can be blocked even inside an eligible state.
- On Novig's trading API, a key has no location of its own; it inherits the account's newest device geolocation, and order placement is refused once that pass expires.
- Novig's published material describes device-location checks. It does not say whether it also screens IP addresses.
- If you travel into an excluded state, open positions still settle normally, but you cannot place orders, deposit or withdraw until you leave.

## Arizona, Michigan and Nevada

Novig does not publish its reason for excluding these three states. They are, however, the three where state officials have gone furthest against sports event contracts on other exchanges. Nevada's gaming regulator won state court injunctions against three major platforms, and the Ninth Circuit sided with Nevada on 28 August 2026. Michigan's attorney general secured an injunction on 2 September 2026 requiring another exchange to geofence the state, with violations subject to a $500,000-per-day penalty. Arizona's attorney general filed 20 criminal misdemeanor charges against another exchange in March 2026.

## The New York situation

Novig sued New York's attorney general and Gaming Commission officials on 5 August 2026. On 10 November 2026, Judge Colleen McMahon of the Southern District of New York denied Novig's request for a preliminary injunction, finding its sports contracts are likely not swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act, so New York may require a state license or an end to listing them. Novig's states page, updated the same day, still lists New York as available. See the [New York page](https://novigapi.com/novig-legal-states/new-york).

## What changed recently

- 6 Apr 2026: the Third Circuit held that sports event contracts are swaps and that federal law preempts New Jersey's gaming laws as applied to them.
- 28 Aug 2026: the Ninth Circuit, in a Nevada case, held such contracts are likely not swaps. The Sixth Circuit reached the same view in an Ohio case on 25 Sep 2026, creating a split between the circuits.
- 18 Sep 2026: Missouri's attorney general sent cease-and-desist letters to six operators, Novig among them. Novig and another operator sued Missouri officials in October.
- July 2026: North Carolina codified CFTC authority and set a 6% tax on exchange fee revenue from 2027, while Illinois began taxing sports event contracts as exchange wagers on 1 July 2026.
- 3 Nov 2026: a Second Circuit motions panel denied injunctions pending appeal in three cases brought by other exchanges.

## State pages

Novig status per Novig's states page, with the key legal development (checked 12 Nov 2026)

| State | Novig status | Key development |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Arizona | Excluded | The state's attorney general filed criminal charges against another exchange in March 2026. |
| California | Available | Ninth Circuit rulings in 2026 favor state and tribal gaming law. |
| Florida | Available | The attorney general has raised compact questions but taken no enforcement action. |
| Georgia | Available | We found no Georgia regulator action on sports event contracts. |
| Illinois | Available | A 2026 law taxes sports event contracts as exchange wagers from 1 July 2026. |
| Michigan | Excluded | A state court injunction has blocked another exchange's sports contracts since 2 Sep 2026. |
| Nevada | Excluded | State court orders block major exchanges; the Ninth Circuit sided with Nevada on 28 Aug 2026. |
| New Jersey | Available | The Third Circuit held on 6 Apr 2026 that federal law preempts New Jersey's gaming law for these contracts. |
| New York | Available | A federal judge denied Novig's injunction against New York on 10 Nov 2026. |
| North Carolina | Available | A July 2026 law recognizes CFTC authority and taxes exchange fee revenue at 6% from 2027. |
| Ohio | Available | The Sixth Circuit sided with Ohio's regulator against another exchange on 25 Sep 2026. |
| Pennsylvania | Available | The Gaming Control Board told the CFTC it views sports contracts as illegal sports wagering. |
| Texas | Available | No state enforcement found; legislative committees are studying the platforms. |


Every other state and Washington, DC is listed as available. Status on this site always follows Novig's own list; a court ruling against another exchange does not change Novig's status until Novig changes its list. Because rulings arrive on their own schedules, confirm eligibility in the app before you deposit.

## All states and DC

| State | Status | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alabama | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Alaska | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Arizona | excluded | Excluded on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026); no trading, deposits or withdrawals while located here. The state's attorney general filed criminal charges against another exchange in March 2026. |
| Arkansas | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| California | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). Ninth Circuit rulings in 2026 favor state and tribal gaming law. |
| Colorado | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Connecticut | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). Connecticut sued another exchange over sports contracts in August 2026. |
| Delaware | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). Delaware sits in the Third Circuit, which held in April 2026 that sports event contracts are swaps. |
| District of Columbia | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Florida | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). The attorney general has raised compact questions but taken no enforcement action. |
| Georgia | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). We found no Georgia regulator action on sports event contracts. |
| Hawaii | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Idaho | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Illinois | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). A 2026 law taxes sports event contracts as exchange wagers from 1 July 2026. |
| Indiana | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Iowa | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). A federal court ruled for state regulators against another exchange in 2026. |
| Kansas | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Kentucky | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Louisiana | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Maine | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Maryland | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). A federal judge denied another exchange's bid to block state enforcement; appeal pending. |
| Massachusetts | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). Novig has sued state officials over enforcement, per Action Network (Aug 2026). |
| Michigan | excluded | Excluded on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026); no trading, deposits or withdrawals while located here. A state court injunction has blocked another exchange's sports contracts since 2 Sep 2026. |
| Minnesota | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). A May 2026 state ban on prediction markets was paused by a federal court. |
| Mississippi | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Missouri | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). The attorney general sent Novig a cease-and-desist letter on 18 Sep 2026; Novig sued in October. |
| Montana | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Nebraska | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Nevada | excluded | Excluded on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026); no trading, deposits or withdrawals while located here. State court orders block major exchanges; the Ninth Circuit sided with Nevada on 28 Aug 2026. |
| New Hampshire | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| New Jersey | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). The Third Circuit held on 6 Apr 2026 that federal law preempts New Jersey's gaming law for these contracts. |
| New Mexico | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). Novig has sued state officials over enforcement, per Action Network (Aug 2026). |
| New York | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). A federal judge denied Novig's injunction against New York on 10 Nov 2026. |
| North Carolina | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). A July 2026 law recognizes CFTC authority and taxes exchange fee revenue at 6% from 2027. |
| North Dakota | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Ohio | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). The Sixth Circuit sided with Ohio's regulator against another exchange on 25 Sep 2026. |
| Oklahoma | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Oregon | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Pennsylvania | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). The Gaming Control Board told the CFTC it views sports contracts as illegal sports wagering. |
| Rhode Island | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). The attorney general sued two other exchanges, per FOX Sports (Oct 2026). |
| South Carolina | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| South Dakota | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Tennessee | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). The Sixth Circuit vacated an injunction that had protected another exchange in Tennessee. |
| Texas | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). No state enforcement found; legislative committees are studying the platforms. |
| Utah | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). A new proposition-betting restriction is being challenged by another exchange. |
| Vermont | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Virginia | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Washington | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). Novig has sued state officials over enforcement, per Action Network (Aug 2026). |
| West Virginia | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |
| Wisconsin | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). Novig filed suit against the attorney general and gaming administrator on 14 Aug 2026. |
| Wyoming | available | Listed as available on Novig's states page (updated 10 Nov 2026). |


## Questions

### In what states is Novig illegal?

Novig is not available in Arizona, Michigan or Nevada, per its states page updated 10 Nov 2026. Whether its sports contracts are legal under other states' laws is contested in several courts.

### Is Novig available in Michigan?

No. Michigan is one of the three states Novig excludes. You cannot trade, deposit or withdraw while physically in Michigan, even if you live elsewhere.

### Is Novig legal in all 50 states?

No. Novig lists 47 states plus Washington, DC. It excludes Arizona, Michigan and Nevada.

### Do you need an SSN for Novig?

Sometimes. Novig's identity check asks for legal name, date of birth and address, and in some cases the last four digits of your SSN and a photo ID.

## Sources

- [Novig: What states is Novig available in? (updated 10 Nov 2026)](https://novig.com/blog/novig-states-where-you-can-play-novig)
- [Novig Help Center: Eligibility and Legality](https://support.novig.com/en/articles/16194031-eligibility-legality)
- [Novig API docs: Get the geolocation status](https://docs.novig.com/api-reference/accounts/get-the-geolocation-status)
- [CFTC: Designated Contract Markets list (Ludlow Exchange, LLC, designated 06/16/2026)](https://www.cftc.gov/IndustryOversight/IndustryFilings/TradingOrganizations?col=Status&dir=DESC&page=1)
- [Husch Blackwell, Government Enforcement Report: multistate enforcement and litigation status (13 Oct 2026)](https://www.governmentenforcementreport.com/2026/10/missouri-attorney-general-sends-cease-and-desist-letters-to-prediction-market-operators-joining-multistate-enforcement-trend/)
- [Yogonet: New York judge rejects Novig bid to block state enforcement (12 Nov 2026)](https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/11/12/127272-new-york-judge-rejects-novig-bid-to-block-state-sports-betting-enforcement)
- [SDNY Blog: Judge McMahon joins Sixth and Ninth Circuits (11 Nov 2026)](https://www.sdnyblog.com/judge-mcmahon-joins-sixth-and-ninth-circuits-sports-event-contracts-are-not-swaps-and-new-york-can-regulate-them-as-gambling/)
- [Action Network: Novig's multi-state legal strategy (26 Aug 2026)](https://www.actionnetwork.com/news/novig-prediction-market-momentum)

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