‘You can bet on it’: Utah lawmakers form united front in push to ban prediction markets

Utah's heavily Mormon population is largely opposed to all gambling, even on financial exchange platforms

Utah is home to some of the strongest anti-gambling laws in the US, with vehement opposition dating back more than a century. But as prediction markets have surged - allowing users to bet on almost anything, from elections to sports to geopolitical events - the state has not escaped the nationwide boom.

Its Republican leaders are fighting back, setting up a battle between one of the country's most conservative states and a rapidly growing industry that is embraced by a Republican administration in Washington - and members of the US president's own family.