Idaho has strict gambling law, but it has not taken enforcement action against prediction markets. ForecastEx is a federally regulated exchange reached through Interactive Brokers, generally open to eligible Idaho residents for economic, climate and political forecast contracts under its CFTC designation. Information, not advice. As of March 2026.
Last reviewed 28 March 2026 · Status as of March 2026 · Information, not legal advice
ForecastEx LLC is a designated contract market and a derivatives clearing organization, designated and registered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2024, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Interactive Brokers Group. It lists Forecast Contracts on economic indicators such as the unemployment rate, the consumer price index and gross domestic product, on climate indicators such as global and United States temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide, and on political outcomes. Because that registration is federal, the venue is open to eligible United States residents in all 50 states for those categories. Idaho is not among the states that have issued cease and desist orders or opened enforcement against prediction market operators, so the federal availability is not in dispute there for these categories. Most retail access runs through an Interactive Brokers account, and the only headline trading fee is one cent per contract. A contract price is an implied probability, not a prediction, and the contracts carry a real risk of loss.
As of March 2026, ForecastEx is generally available to eligible Idaho residents aged 18 or older. It is a CFTC designated contract market and clearing organization owned by Interactive Brokers, listing economic, climate and political forecast contracts. Idaho has not issued a cease and desist or opened enforcement against prediction markets, and access is generally through an Interactive Brokers account. Confirm the current position before you act.
Idaho has a restrictive gambling constitution and limited legal gaming, with tribal gaming under federal law and a state lottery, but no commercial sportsbooks. That state framework governs traditional betting and does not reach federally listed event contracts, which fall under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission rather than the State of Idaho. Reputable trackers record Idaho among the states that have not taken formal action against prediction market operators as of mid 2026, in contrast to the dozen or so states that have sent cease and desist orders.
What governs ForecastEx is its federal status. It is a designated contract market and a derivatives clearing organization, designated and registered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2024, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Interactive Brokers Group. That federal registration makes it available to eligible residents in all 50 states, Idaho included, for the categories it lists: economic indicators such as the unemployment rate, the consumer price index and gross domestic product, climate indicators such as temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide, and political outcomes. ForecastEx restricts its sports contracts in states that assert gaming jurisdiction, and Idaho has not asserted such jurisdiction against it as of March 2026.
The access route is the practical point. There is no separate retail deposit funnel at the ForecastEx site, and most retail traders reach Forecast Contracts through an Interactive Brokers account, so opening an account with Interactive Brokers is effectively the prerequisite for an Idaho resident. Available does not mean simple or low risk. The contracts settle on real economic and climate data and can lose you money. A price is an implied probability of an outcome, not our prediction of it, and we do not tip results. Confirm the current contracts and the funding steps on ForecastEx and Interactive Brokers, and read our Idaho legality guide, before you act.
These federally listed United States venues you can compare ForecastEx against. The list appears after the information and shows no paid placements. ForecastEx lists economic, climate and political forecast contracts, and Idaho has not opened enforcement against prediction markets. Scores are illustrative editorial examples. Confirm the current position and your eligibility before acting.
A clear regulator does not make any contract safe to over trade. Prediction markets and event contracts can lose you money. Trade only what you can afford to lose, never to chase a loss, and never with borrowed money. If it stops feeling like a choice, step back. In the United States you can call or text 1 800 GAMBLER or visit ncpgambling.org. You must be 18+ or the legal age in your region.
As of March 2026, yes, generally. ForecastEx is a CFTC designated contract market and clearing organization, available to eligible Idaho residents in all 50 states for economic, climate and political forecast contracts. Access is generally through an Interactive Brokers account. This is general information, not legal advice.
No. As of March 2026 Idaho has not issued a cease and desist or opened formal enforcement against prediction market operators, unlike the dozen or so states that have. Idaho gambling law governs traditional betting, not federally listed event contracts under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Confirm the current position before relying on it.
ForecastEx centers on economic, climate and political forecast contracts and restricts its sports contracts in states that assert gaming jurisdiction. Idaho has not asserted such jurisdiction against it as of March 2026. Confirm what is listed on the platform before acting, since the position changes.
Most retail access runs through an Interactive Brokers account, since ForecastEx is a wholly owned subsidiary of Interactive Brokers Group and has no separate retail deposit funnel. An Idaho resident would generally open or use an Interactive Brokers account and trade Forecast Contracts from there. Confirm the current steps before you act.
Forecast Contracts on economic indicators such as the unemployment rate, the consumer price index and gross domestic product, on climate indicators such as temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide, and on political outcomes. Each contract carries a real risk of loss.
The position above rests on the federal designation of ForecastEx, its own contract rules, the Interactive Brokers access route, and the absence of Idaho enforcement. Confirm it yourself before you act, because the rules in this area change.
Status as of March 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor, on 28 March 2026.