World Cup 2026 Fuels $50B+ Surge in Prediction Markets

The 2026 World Cup has become a landmark event for prediction markets, with platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket moving over $50 billion in combined volume, rivaling traditional sportsbooks.

The Numbers

• Kalshi reached $31B total volume in June, with $22.42B directly from World Cup contracts. Source: lavozar
• Polymarket recorded $10.8B in monthly volume, plus $3.5B from its regulated US version. Source: infobae
• New entrant Rothera processed $2B in its first month. Source: lavozar
• Prediction markets captured 27% of all US sports betting activity during the tournament, up from 9% earlier in the year. Source: larepublicaco

Market Shift

The tournament demonstrated prediction markets' ability to compete with traditional sportsbooks. Kalshi's daily active users surpassed both DraftKings and FanDuel during the World Cup, while the legacy apps saw dips of 36-41%. Source: lavozar Kalshi's official FIFA sponsorship gave it stadium visibility and a Fox Sports distribution deal. Source: lavozar

Regulatory and Demographic Changes

Polymarket, after a 2022 CFTC fine, re-entered the US market in late 2025. However, US users still bet $571M on the global platform via VPNs, exceeding Hong Kong's $422M. Source: infobae Kalshi saw its female user base grow 106% during the tournament, now making up 33.3% of users.