Prediction markets have, predictably, been given a boost by the summer of sports
Major platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have seen huge upticks in users of late, thanks in no small part to what’s felt like a recent sporting smorgasbord, with major competitions across hockey, basketball, and soccer soaking up fans’ time (and spending, clearly) at the outset of summer.
While gaming industry groups may not like it, there’s been a huge change in the methods people are using to put money on the big games, with everyone from fortunate NYC bar owners, to a far less fortunate Spanish supporter, turning to prediction markets to try and turn their sports know-how into cold, hard cash.
According to a new report from Adam Blacker for apptopia, that shift might have been even more seismic than imagined in the wake of the NBA and NHL finals and around the 2026 World Cup kicking off.
Since May 15, the number of daily active users on Polymarket and Kalshi have surged a staggering 191% and 134%, respectively, with the increases seen as the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final kicked off and concluded, as well as around the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Much of the growth will undoubtedly have come through the US market, while a growing group of countries in large swaths across the European Union and Asia place restrictions — both temporary and permanent — on the platforms, per Bloomberg.
While gaming industry groups may not like it, there’s been a huge change in the methods people are using to put money on the big games, with everyone from fortunate NYC bar owners, to a far less fortunate Spanish supporter, turning to prediction markets to try and turn their sports know-how into cold, hard cash.
According to a new report from Adam Blacker for apptopia, that shift might have been even more seismic than imagined in the wake of the NBA and NHL finals and around the 2026 World Cup kicking off.
Since May 15, the number of daily active users on Polymarket and Kalshi have surged a staggering 191% and 134%, respectively, with the increases seen as the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final kicked off and concluded, as well as around the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Much of the growth will undoubtedly have come through the US market, while a growing group of countries in large swaths across the European Union and Asia place restrictions — both temporary and permanent — on the platforms, per Bloomberg.
