By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The secretary of state’s office is the latest Arizona government agency to crack down on betting, with its focus on elections.
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Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said Thursday that his office is rolling out a new policy banning staff from betting on elections or “election-related events” through prediction markets.
He said the new rules are to keep Arizonans’ faith that elections are fair and the results can be trusted.
“My top priority is to protect the integrity of our elections above all else. Implementing this policy is a proactive measure to protect both the voters in Arizona and our employees at the State Department. I know the professionals that run our elections across all 15 counties here in Arizona share my urgency in providing peace of mind to voters this election season,” Fontes said in an emailed statement. “This policy provides clear standards that support fair competition and accountability.”
Maricopa County officials approved a similar ban Wednesday, and last week Gov. Katie Hobbs signed an executive order making it illegal for state employees to use confidential information to profit from prediction markets.
It’s already against state law to wager on elections, but that hasn’t stopped popular prediction markets from letting people put down money on key races in Arizona.
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On Kalshi, as of Tuesday night, there were nine markets about Arizona’s upcoming primary election with a total volume of more than $580,000 between them combined.
Earlier this year, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed criminal charges against Kalshi, accusing the prediction market platform of operating an illegal gambling and election wagering business.
A federal judge paused that case as higher courts debate who has jurisdiction over prediction markets.
Election Day for Arizona’s primary is Tuesday.
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