New York Governor’s Race This Week is a weekly column by USA TODAY Network-New York reporters highlighting aspects of the 2026 campaign to lead the Empire State.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on prediction market Kalshi’s legality.
The Empire State’s latest move in its fight against the rapidly growing platform that allows people to place bets on future events like sports and politics is filing a lawsuit against it after an investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office asserted it is an “illegal, unlicensed gambling operation.”
According to the state, Kalshi meets the legal definition of gambling because the outcomes of the events New Yorkers are betting on through the platform are uncertain and outside their control. The prediction market is also available to users between the ages of 18 and 20, which the state says is a problem because New York law requires a person to be at least 21 years old to participate in mobile sports betting.
This isn’t the first step the state has taken to block the prediction market. In October, the state’s Gaming Commission sent the company a cease-and-desist letter for illegally operating an unlicensed mobile sports wagering platform in New York. Kalshi immediately requested an injunction against the state, which was denied in July and then appealed shortly after.
Through this lawsuit, the state is hoping to stop Kalshi from operating as an unlicensed gambling business in New York and wants the company to pay the state fines, forfeit all illegal gains and pay restitution to its users.
How Hochul, Blakeman are clashing on Kalshi
Hochul has repeatedly shown her support of the state’s actions against Kalshi. The governor previously threw a jab at the company when the judge initially ruled in favor of the state, saying “Gamble with our laws and you’re going to lose. Just ask Kalshi.”
And in response to the recently filed lawsuit, she doubled down on her goal to protect New Yorkers from the platform.
“Kalshi has chosen to ignore New York’s gaming laws, which exist to protect consumers, prevent problematic gambling, deliver funding for critical public services, and ensure that every company plays by the same rules,” Hochul said.
“This choice has consequences, and working closely with Attorney General [Letitia] James, New York is taking action to stop this illegal behavior and bring Kalshi into compliance, because no company is above the law,” she added.
Hochul’s challenger in the governor’s race, however, has different thoughts on the prediction market’s presence in New York.
Blakeman told reporters on Wednesday, Aug. 5, that Kalshi is “not really traditional gambling.”
“The fact of the matter is that people are going to take their money, they’re going to invest it where they want and if one of their investments is Kalshi or they decide that they would rather gamble their money, those are personal choices,” Blakeman said.
Blakeman disagrees with Hochul’s NYC childcare approach
On the same day Hochul announced an advancement in her push toward universal childcare in New York earlier this week, Blakeman shared his thoughts on the service.
The governor joined New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday, Aug. 4, to reveal that more than 2,000 children have received offers to join the city’s inaugural 2-K class after previously allotting $73 million toward the effort. According to Hochul’s campaign, this will save families an average of $26,000 per year.
When asked on Fox Business later that day about how much the state is spending on the effort, Blakeman said he supports childcare but would like to see a different approach to it in New York.
“I believe that we should have childcare,” Blakeman said.
“But give the childcare in the form of tax credits so that we know that we’re giving the money to people who are actually working and not to lazy asses who are watching ‘The View’ and sitting on their couch all day,” the Nassau County executive continued.
Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki pushed back against Blakeman’s comments on Tuesday.
“Your family is Governor Hochul’s fight, which is why she’s delivering universal childcare for New Yorkers,” Radulovacki said, “but Bruce Blakeman and Donald Trump, as usual, are only attacking them.”
“The choice in this race is simple: a mom governor who’ll stand up for you and your family, or Trump’s puppet on Long Island who’ll let New Yorkers suffer whenever MAGA attacks them,” he added.
This all comes as the Trump administration announced changes to the preschool and childcare program Head Start. On Thursday, Aug. 6, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed that the administration would be lifting certain mandates on student-to-staff ratios, scrapping certain child transportation requirements and introducing a new mandate for physical activity, USA TODAY reported.
Judge blocks NY mask ban for ICE agents; Hochul wants another NY Olympics
Here are some additional topics related to the governor’s race that the USA TODAY Network-New York has reported on this week:
Emily Barnes covers state government for the USA TODAY Network-New York with a focus on how policy and laws impact New Yorkers’ taxes, communities and jobs. Follow her on Instagram or X @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Hochul, Blakeman clash on Kalshi, childcare in NY governor’s race
Reporting by Emily Barnes, New York State Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Emily Barnes, New York State Team | USA TODAY Network
