If you are looking for something new and exciting in the sports betting world, sports prediction platforms are emerging as a popular, exciting new way to bet. They offer people who live in states with no access to legal, regulated online sportsbooks a way to participate in sports betting. These markets are different from conventional betting sites as they provide you with contracts, instead of bets with odds. Percentages replace odds on these platforms.
One of the reasons sports prediction markets have become so popular is that they give you a lot more control over how you stake your tips, meaning you can then benefit from a variety of different betting strategies and systems.
We will provide you with information on how these platforms work, the experience they offer, and who they are most suitable for. But first, let’s take a look at our top choices for sports prediction markets.
Best US Sports Prediction Markets
Here, we will give you our list of the top prediction market sites in 2026. Each site offers a unique experience that appeals to different users, and the sports betting options also vary from one site to another. Although the principles of predicting yes/no markets and trading contracts are largely the same, some of these exchanges will have different limitations and fees.
Kalshi
Kalshi is likely the most well-known sports prediction market in the world and offers an experience that is the closest to betting with regulated sportsbooks. It was the first CTC-regulated exchange market and is regarded as the market leader for sports prediction trading software. Kalshi is available in all 50 states as it is considered to be a designated contract market, and not a sportsbook. It is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and is entirely transparent, offering contracts that have been checked and vetted.
You can deposit on Kalshi using all the usual methods, such as debit cards and e-wallets, and all contracts and balances are secure on the platform, so you can use it without worrying. However, all users should be aware of the fee structure, which can be frustrating. We also feel like the interface is a bit slower than its competitors, such as Polymarket.
We should also mention Robinhood here, who began offering prediction markets via a partnership with Kalshi, which started in early 2025. This gives existing Robinhood users far more options than before the partnership, and if you have an existing Robinhood account for other investment services, you can access the sports contracts side from the same interface.
Pros:
- CTC-regulated and established as a market leader
- Closely resembles regulated online sportsbooks
- Fast payouts, no matter which payment method you choose
- Diverse trading markets, including politics, health, and world
Cons:
- Smaller bonuses compared to sportsbooks
- Slow interface
- Numerous fees and different structures on individual contract fees can be frustrating
Polymarket
Polymarket ceased all US operations in 2022, but is planning to come back and be a major player in the US sports prediction market space. When back online, users will have access to an extremely fast site that boasts one of the strongest prediction markets around. There are also no trading fees, which is a huge plus.
Polymarket is different from Kalshi as it uses smart contracts and external crypto wallets rather than having everything on its own systems, in the way that Kalshi does. If you have used crypto in the past, this won’t be a problem. However, for anybody who hasn’t used crypto before, it may be something that puts them off.
Pros:
- Lightning-fast site that boosts users’ experience
- Wide range of prediction markets
- No banking or trading fees
- Sports markets that include totals and point spreads
Cons:
- Currently in the beta-testing phase and not yet available in the US
- Cryptocurrency may put people off
- Lack of responsible gambling protections
Crypto.com
Crypto.com is a new entry into the sports prediction market, launching in 2024 via a partnership with Underdog. It offers a good choice of sports in a user-friendly exchange interface. If you already have a Crypto.com account and enjoy using the site and its services, this is a great way to enter the predictions market via a site you are already familiar with.
The first thing you notice when you sign in to this site is the sheer amount of markets, images, and seemingly everything in between that is going on. It can be overwhelming. This platform offers multiple different services, and prediction markets make up only a small part of the menu.
Pros:
- Low fees
- Can access prediction markets via a well-established site
- Partnership with Underdog ensures lots of options
- The Site is regulated, so users are protected
Cons:
- The Site can be tricky to navigate
- Limited coverage
- Steep learning curve
Other Sports Prediction Markets to Consider
The following sites also offer sports prediction markets. The sites above are what we consider ‘the big 3’, but you may be interested in exploring further options.
PredictIt
PredictIT is a New Zealand-based company that tracks political races around the globe. If you are interested in focusing on political events, this is one of the best sites in the industry. However, sports fans won’t find any sports markets currently available on this site.
Sporttrade
Sporttrade is another site that gives users the opportunity to buy and sell sports contracts. The company is based in Philadelphia and signed a strategic partnership with SIG Investment Corps in 2024 to improve its sports trading products. This platform focuses on in-game markets, which will appeal to bettors who enjoy live betting, and is currently available in New Jersey, Iowa, Colorado, Arizona, and Virginia.
FanDuel Predicts – Coming Soon
Naturally, the biggest brands in traditional sports betting want to get involved in prediction markets. FanDuel joined forces with CME Group in September 2025 to unveil new prediction markets. These will combine FanDuel’s mobile technology with CME’s experience and expertise in risk management and derivatives. Expect to see markets offered on sports, politics, and economics.
DraftKings Prediction Markets – Coming Soon
DraftKings has joined FanDuel in stating publicly that they will be entering the prediction markets space. The brand has acquired Railbird with this intention in mind, and DraftKings’ predictions will be available soon.
How Sports Prediction Markets Work
Instead of giving you odds and different types of bets as you would get at US betting sites, at sports prediction markets, you purchase contracts that come with a percentage that determines your payout. Essentially, they work like financial exchanges where users trade contracts that represent yes/no outcomes on events, such as a team winning a game. You have the option of buying your contract at market value or setting the price for the contracts you wish to buy. Each contract has a price ranging from $0.01-$1.
The value of the contracts will change to reflect the current market trends, and traders have several options when it comes to buying their contracts. You have the following options:
- Buy a contract at the live current price
- Wait for the market to shift and possibly drop, and then buy your contract
- Create a price that you set, that becomes a resting order with an expiration date
If you plump for option 3, you also have the option of closing your position early by selling your contracts on the exchange before they expire. Sports prediction markets are more like playing the stock market, where prices rise and drop frequently.
How To Choose Best US Sports Prediction Market For You
There are several things to consider when deciding which prediction market best suits your needs. Here are some of the key factors you should focus on.
Sports Coverage
There is little point in choosing a market site if it does not cover the sports you are interested in. If you want to enter contracts for soccer, for example, and one site doesn’t have any soccer coverage, you aren’t likely to sign up.
The big sites like Polymarket (when the relaunch is complete), Kalshi, and Crypto.com have the biggest range of sports markets. We are sure FanDuel and DraftKings will also have a wide selection of sports when they launch their prediction markets, given their brand and reputation in the industry.
If you would rather branch out and explore other sections, such as politics or finance, the sites we have listed offer those, too. However, we would also recommend that you be aware of the fees and liquidity associated with them, in the same way you would for sports markets, and don’t use it as a deal-breaker if you are only interested in sports markets.
State Availability and Legality
It may sound obvious, but double-check that the prediction site you want to use operates in your location. Trading sites are available throughout the US, but some are just starting out and don’t operate in many US states yet. Make sure you check each platform accepts contracts from your area before you create an account.
State regulations are constantly changing, and this may affect which sites you are allowed to use. For example, if you live in New York, you cannot use Crypto.com. Performance markets are also currently in the news for litigation, so look out for the latest updates.
Fees, Limits, and Spreads
Ensure you are clued up on the fees associated with each site. Each fee can add up very quickly and take a large toll on your ROI. Each platform has its own minimum/maximum limits and spreads, which may not match your desired trading level.
Some sites offer different fees based on the potential return of the contract, while others will offer fixed fees per trade or contract. Depending on how often you plan to play, there will be some sites that will be more suitable for you than others. It would be best to choose the site with the lowest cost per trade that fits your needs.
Payment and Banking Options
Trading platforms typically cover all bank cards, bank transfers, and wire transfers, which is what you would expect on any sort of betting site. There is not as many choices regarding payment methods for prediction market sites as sportsbooks, but still enough to be satisfied.
Big sites like Kalshi support crypto deposits, which is convenient for those who are used to trading in cryptocurrency. We would recommend using the same payment method for deposits and withdrawals, as it will ensure a faster process.
Liquidity
You should always choose a site where the offers fill. This refers to the process where a trader’s order to purchase or sell a contract is matched by someone on the other side of your contract. The ‘fill’ part is the execution of that trade. This ensures the pricing for all of the contracts is accurate and fewer contracts where a greater value that can’t be filled.
All trustworthy sites will have liquidity data available, and you can view these numbers before entering contracts. If you want bigger contracts with high volume, Polymarket and Kalshi are your best options.
User Experience
You want to have a pleasant experience when using a sports prediction market site, just the same as when you use any other website. Utilize both the desktop and app versions of these prediction market platforms to see which interface you prefer. A lot of people prefer using their mobile devices to bet, but this is different from placing a moneyline on a team winning a game. So, test out entering contracts on the move to ensure it is a seamless process, and if so, it may be easier to use the app.
Bonuses and Promotions
Just like sportsbooks, prediction markets may offer incentives to encourage people to sign up in the form of bonuses, and then keep them engaged by offering ongoing promotions. While not as common on prediction sites, they allow you a chance to build your balance while learning about how these markets work.
Before you sign up for a site, do some research and have a look at which sites are offering welcome bonuses or other incentives. Some may not do this, but if you find a site that does, and it also offers the sports you are interested in with reasonable fees, it is certainly worth your time. As always with any bonus or promotion, read the terms and conditions before redemption.
AMM vs CLOB Trading Models
There are two prominent models of exchange design, which are the central limit order book (CLOB) and the automated market maker (AMM). Prediction market sites like Polymarket use the AMM model, while newer sites such as Limitless Exchange have opted for the CLOB approach. It is worth understanding the difference, as it could influence your decision on which site to choose.
The AMM model is the more conventional approach. AMM acts as a bot for quoting prices for users who wish to trade two shares or assets. An AMM exchange aggregates liquidity for both sides of a trade, then determines the best price. They enable traders to always get a quoted price on their contract.
The CLOB model matches orders from buyers and sellers based on a stringent set of rules. CLOB allows users to either bid (buy) or ask (sell) a contract at a specified price. The gap between the highest bid and the lowest ask is called the spread.
The most notable difference between trading contracts on an AMM of CLOB-based exchange is how the fair price is determined.
Sports Prediction Markets vs Sportsbooks
When comparing sports prediction markets to traditional sportsbooks, many people want to know who is better at predicting the future, the oddsmakers or the crowd. The truth is, sports prediction markets and sportsbooks are both similar and different in a few ways, which we have outlined below.
Market Coverage
There are only yes/no options for every event on prediction market sites, which is a big difference from the options available on sportsbooks. Traditional sports betting sites also offer far more sports markets than prediction operators, who typically only offer contracts for the big sports such as the NFL, NBA, and NHL.
Transparency
You can easily view the current market prices for any event at the top prediction sites. You can see the amount of money that has been wagered on an event and then monitor how the market value changes over time. This type of insight is not available at sportsbooks as they prefer to keep that data in-house. This level of transparency is hugely beneficial for users when they are deciding what moves to make.
Setting the Value
Online sportsbooks set their prices and odds based on historical data, betting patterns, pre-set house edges, and an algorithm. On the flipside, prediction markets use the supply and demand of a contract based on the level of interest to set their prices, which leads to better value for users.
State Regulation
The best prediction sites, which we have listed on this page, bypass state laws and only need approval from federal agencies. However, online sportsbooks go through a more rigorous process, require approval from all of the different states, and must obtain a license to operate.
Are Prediction Market Sites Worth It?
Prediction markets look set to grow in the next few years. A lot of investing involves some type of prediction, whether you are playing the stock market or just simply betting on a game and predicting the winner. Sports prediction markets give traders far more scope to make predictions, giving them the opportunity to make money on presidential races or singers winning awards.
To make prediction sites worth it, you need to carry out your own research on exactly how they work, and be aware that event contracts are short-term, all-in bets based on future uncertain events. This means they carry greater risk than a lot of other types of investments, and it is very difficult to make money over the long term, similar to traditional sports betting.
However, it is an exciting environment to get involved with, learn more, and enjoy several platforms. It is a new way to make some money, and as long as you pay attention to all of the requirements, it is certainly worth exploring these sports market prediction sites.
How To Get Started With Sports Prediction Markets
Making the transition from traditional sports betting, where you just choose a game you are interested in and bet on it, to trading contracts on a prediction site may seem daunting. However, it is far simpler than you might think. First, you will need to sign up for an account at a sports prediction trading site.
Like at sportsbooks, you must verify your account before you can deposit and begin trading contracts. Remember, trading is not regulated in the same way as classic sports betting. It is considered a financial exchange that doesn’t have to focus on sporting events. These types of predictions are legal in all 50 states as long as you meet the following requirements:
- You must be 18 years old
- You must have an existing US address to link to your account
Please be aware that even though this is legal, not all sports prediction sites are operating in all 50 states.
