The best prediction markets in 2026 provide you with a different way to participate in sports and other real-world outcomes across politics, culture, finance, and other categories. Here, you can trade 'Yes' or 'No' prediction contracts tied to real-world events.
There are many prediction market sites out there, but you can use our expert ratings and reviews to help you find the right one for you.
You’ll find that some platforms have special features that set them apart from the rest. For example, Kalshi has advanced charts and real-time data trackers, while Polymarket works exclusively on the Polygon network.
- Best prediction markets in 2026
- Kalshi: The first US prediction market
- Polymarket: One of the best prediction market apps
- Crypto.com: The only prediction market with $10 event contracts
- Robinhood Prediction Markets: Good for the casual traders
- Underdog Predict: Best for sports prediction markets
- How to sign up at prediction market sites
- Top categories at prediction market sites
- How we rate prediction market apps
- Tips for trading on prediction markets
- Are prediction markets available in the US?
- Prediction markets pros and cons
- Final thoughts on the best prediction markets in the US
- Discover our top-rated prediction market sites
- Prediction markets FAQ
Best prediction markets in 2026
Let’s get straight down to business and take a look at the top prediction market apps and sites for U.S. traders.
We have created this ranked list of prediction markets using a mix of our PlayersBest expertise and our community score, which accounts for our expert scores, our PlayersBest user scores, and those from other trusted third-party review sites.
| 📈 Prediction markets | 🏆 Best features |
| 1. Kalshi | High trading volume, real-time data tracking, and perpetual crypto markets |
| 2. Polymarket | Combo sports predictions, 5-minute crypto markets, and novelty markets |
| 3. Crypto.com | $10 event contracts, low fees, user-friendly website |
| 4. Robinhood | Simplified trading, all-in-one app, and transparency |
| 5. Underdog Predict | Sports predictions, app design, $0.10 trading fee |
Kalshi: The first US prediction market
As explained in our expert Kalshi review, this was the first prediction market website to launch in the United States. At Kalshi, you can buy and sell event contracts for various outcomes, including sports games, political elections, and cultural events.
When it comes to crypto prediction markets, Kalshi is the only app that currently offers “Perps”, which are crypto futures that never close. Instead of buying “Yes” or “No” contracts based on the price rise and fall of a token by a certain end date, you can go “Long” or “Short”. These futures never end, so you can hold or sell your position at any point without owning the actual asset.
For its general prediction markets, Kalshi tends to have high trading volume and good liquidity due to the platform's popularity. Moreover, it provides detailed, transparent stats for each market, including trading volume and all recent contract purchases and sales.
Kalshi’s fee structure is based on expected profits, which is a bit complex but not necessarily more expensive. Lastly, Kalshi is a CFTC-regulated exchange that accepts U.S. traders aged 18+. However, it is currently prohibited or partially restricted in Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, Nevada, and Ohio.
Polymarket: One of the best prediction market apps
Polymarket is the biggest competitor to Kalshi, and has been since it launched its U.S.-exclusive app, which is CFTC-regulated and headquartered in NYC. For iOS users, the app has a 4.6-star user rating on the App Store, a sentiment echoed by our experts in the Polymarket review here at PlayersBest.
It’s the ideal prediction market app for sports fans, as you can easily combine multiple sports game prediction markets into one contract purchase.
Additionally, there are some fun novelty markets, such as “Will Ronaldo cry at the World Cup?” When it comes to crypto predictions, Polymarket is the only site to offer five-minute markets, where you can buy Yes/No event contracts based on the price rise and fall of a crypto asset within a five-minute time window.
The taker fees vary by prediction market category, and there are no maker fees. At the time of writing, Polymarket accepts U.S. traders aged 18+, but has restrictions imposed in Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and Ohio.
Crypto.com: The only prediction market with $10 event contracts
Crypto.com offers prediction markets through its main website and its OG mobile app. Compared with Kalshi and Polymarket, it doesn’t have as wide a selection of markets, and its data tracking is a bit more limited. However, this makes the interface simpler and a bit easier to use for beginner traders.
One standout feature discovered during our Crypto.com Prediction Market review is the inclusion of two types of event contracts. In addition to the usual $1 event contracts, larger $10 shares are available, which are handy for those trading in larger volumes.
In addition, this site has by far the lowest fees. You pay just $0.02 on $1 contracts and $0.20 on $10 contracts. Moreover, you pay no fees for $1 contracts if you hold them until the event concludes. For $10 contracts, you only pay a $0.10 fee per contract if the market settles as a win.
Crypto.com’s prediction market platform is CFTC-regulated and accepts U.S.-based traders aged 18+. However, access is completely prohibited in Arizona and New York. Additionally, sports prediction markets are restricted for users in Nevada, Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Illinois.
Sponsored by Crypto.com – Not investment advice. Trading prediction markets and crypto involves risk, including potential loss of your stake. Consider your risk tolerance before participating. Crypto.com connects U.S. users to CDNA (regulated by CFTC) for derivatives trading. CDNA membership required. Trading may not be suitable for all—you could lose your entire investment plus fees. Past performance doesn't guarantee future results. This is not a solicitation or recommendation to trade.
Robinhood Prediction Markets: Good for the casual traders
Robinhood now offers prediction markets through its regular investing app. Its prediction markets are mostly sourced from Polymarket, and the platform is CFTC-regulated. This is ideal if you want to try prediction markets for the first time and already have a Robinhood investing account.
While it is the most limited option among our top five prediction markets in terms of market selection and trading volume, it’s the best option for beginners and casual traders. When using the prediction markets section of the app for the first time, there are pop-up guides that walk you through your first event contract purchase.
Moreover, the trading fees are low and extremely transparent. While the structure isn’t quite as straightforward as Crypto.com, you will generally never pay more than $0.02 per contract. Moreover, the exact fees you will pay are instantly calculated and displayed before you complete your purchase.
As covered in our Robinhood Prediction Markets review, the prediction markets side of this app is available to users aged 18+ in all 50 states. However, sports-related prediction markets are restricted for traders in Maryland, New Jersey, and Nevada.
Underdog Predict: Best for sports prediction markets
If sports prediction markets are your main interest, then you might want to give Underdog Predict a try. Its user-friendly prediction markets app contains the same yellow-and-black interface as the brand's other products. Moreover, it keeps things clean and simple.
Besides sports, you can also trade event contracts for politics, culture, and a range of other categories. There’s a flat exchange fee of $0.10 per contract, which isn’t the cheapest, but it is at least easy to follow. Of course, this reduces potential profits and heightens your potential losses, thus increasing the risk.
Underdog Predict is currently accessible to users aged 18+ in 32 states, making it the least available of the five prediction markets mentioned so far. The 18 prohibited states are as follows: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
How to sign up at prediction market sites
Before you sign up to one of the top-rated prediction markets based on your PlayersBest and community scores, make sure that you understand what a prediction market is and the risks involved.
When it comes to creating and funding your account, the process differs slightly across sites. For example, Polymarket has a faster, simpler process, thanks to its use of the Polygon network and its exclusive acceptance of cryptocurrency deposits.
Due to Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulations governing these sites, all of them have strict KYC, verification, and AML requirements. At the very least, this means you must provide all of your personal details, along with a photo ID, proof of address, a live selfie, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number (SSN). In many instances, proof of funds and proof of bank account ownership are also required.
To give you a broad example of how to sign up, here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a new account at Kalshi:
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Visit site: Follow one of the relevant banners or links on this page to the prediction market website
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Download app: Download and install the prediction market app
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Start registration: Hit the 'Sign Up' button to open the registration form
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Enter email: Enter your email address or select the Google/Apple ID signup option
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Create Password: Create a secure password for your account
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Verify ID: Enter the contact information that has been sent to your email address, phone number, or account
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Personal details: Enter your full name, residential address, and date of birth as they appear on your passport
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SSN: Provide the final four digits of your SSN
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Complete KYC: Upload a valid government-issued photo ID alongside a live selfie (other documents may be required later on)
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Deposit funds: Once verified, you can fund your account and start trading
Top categories at prediction market sites
Prediction markets work by allowing you to buy and sell contracts on future events. While scalar and categorical contracts are common. Most prediction markets are binary, with “Yes” and “No” event contract options.
These event contracts are priced between $0.01 and $0.88 to reflect the real-time market probability of the outcome. For example, if the Red Sox have a 40% chance of beating the Yankees, “Yes” contracts would cost roughly $0.40 each.
Once the markets are resolved, contracts corresponding to the correct outcome close at $1.00, while those corresponding to the incorrect outcome close at $0.00. This decides whether you make a profit or a loss. While sports prediction markets are the most popular, a range of event categories is available.
Here’s a rundown of the most popular prediction market categories:
- Sports prediction markets: This is the broadest and most popular category, covering everything from individual game winners to markets like point spreads and totals. Additionally, many prediction markets offer novelty sports prediction markets, such as “Who will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show?” If you're more interested in betting on fixed odds, check out our list of the best online sportsbooks.
- Politics prediction markets: The politics prediction markets cover everything from U.S. Presidential and state governor elections to international affairs and beyond. On Kalshi and Polymarket, you can even find geopolitical prediction markets on topics like the US-Iran nuclear deal.
- Culture prediction markets: A broad category encompassing multiple subgenres, including music, TV, film, and gaming. Some market examples include Rotten Tomatoes scores. Spotify music charts and Oscar winners.
- Economics prediction markets: Economic prediction markets are mainly centered on U.S. Fed decisions and global market movements, such as gas and energy prices. There are also scalar event contracts for markets, such as "how rich Elon Musk will be this year".
- Crypto prediction markets: Rather than owning the actual assets, a crypto prediction market allows you to trade event contracts based on the price rises and falls of a cryptocurrency within a certain time frame. On Polymarket, you can find everything from year-long to five-minute crypto markets. As we mentioned earlier, Kalshi now has perpetual crypto prediction markets with “Long” and “Short” contracts.
- Climate prediction markets: These markets focus on all things weather-related. Most markets have scalar even contracts, such as the amount of rainfall in Chicago this month or the highest temperature in Miami.
How we rate prediction market apps
You can trust our expert reviews here at PlayersBest because we have a detailed review and rating system for prediction markets. We break it down into categories, rating each site on all key aspects to give it a combined score.
In addition to our own PlayersBest ratings, we have a Community Score, calculated from our expert scores, our users’ ratings, and reviews from other trusted third-party sites, such as Trustpilot.
To give you an idea of how we work, here are the main categories that we consider when reviewing a prediction market platform:
- Usability - First, we test the desktop website, the mobile app, and all other available platforms. We rate them based on layout, navigation, user-friendliness, and design aesthetics.
- Payments - In addition to deposit and withdrawal methods, we review payment terms. We know that key things like withdrawal speed, transaction fees, and limits are vitally important to our readers.
- Support - If things go wrong, it’s essential to be confident that you can access help when you need it. Ideally, we want to see a comprehensive help center combined with live chat, email, and phone support that’s manned by humans, rather than AI bots.
- Licensing - All prediction markets in the United States must be regulated by the CFTC. However, it’s not enough for us to merely see that a site is regulated. Additionally, we also check that the correct verification, KYC, and other compliance measures are properly implemented.
- Prediction markets - Lastly, and most importantly, we see what prediction markets are available and assess the conditions for purchasing event contracts. In addition to checking the categories, we also look at the available liquidity, transparency, and data-tracking tools.
Tips for trading on prediction markets
Prediction market trading is risky, and you should carefully consider this before you trade. To help you manage the risk and make better forecasts, here are our experts’ top five tips:
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First and foremost, never deposit and trade with a total amount that is more than you can comfortably afford to lose. Thereafter, only use small portions of around 1% maximum of your total balance for each trade. Remember, with prediction markets, you’re more likely to lose than make a profit.
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It’s best to stick to a prediction market category that you know well and can make your sole focus, rather than spreading yourself thin. For example, if you're an avid sports fan, stick to sports, rather than trading to make political or economic forecasts with little prior knowledge.
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Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are extremely transparent. In addition to showing you the total trading volume of the markets, you can look at the order book to see the exact trades that have been executed recently. In addition to helping you find high-liquidity markets, this can also give you key indicators of the market's direction.
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To buy event contracts for a prediction market, you need to have an equal counter trade to balance it out. This means that if you are a market maker, you need to wait for a taker before the trade executes. At this time, the price can slip drastically from what you initially expected to pay. You can protect yourself against this negative slippage by placing a limit order with the maximum contract price that you’re willing to pay.
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Finally, everything that you do should be matched to your experience level. If you're a beginner, start with a smaller platform like Robinhood that’s easier to use. By the same token, place small traders on markets that you know well, and don’t start using tools or buying contracts that you don’t fully comprehend.
Are prediction markets available in the US?
If you're wondering about the availability and the legal status of prediction markets in the U.S., there's no reason to worry. Our team checked all five brands featured in this guide to ensure they offer their services in the U.S. We also confirmed they comply with all applicable regulations.
All five prediction market sites — Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Robinhood, and Underdog Predict — are regulated by the CFTC. And they're available in most U.S. states, though some brands have state-by-state restrictions. Check the T&Cs to make sure the site is available in your location before joining.
Prediction markets pros and cons
Before we finish, here are the pros and cons of prediction markets:
- Available in most states
- Different way to back predictions
- Cover sports, crypto, and other categories
- Highly risky
Final thoughts on the best prediction markets in the US
In summary, prediction markets are platforms where you can buy and sell event contracts for the outcomes of sports games and other future events. The contract prices are always set between $0.01 and $0.099 to reflect real-time market probability.
You can profit by making the correct prediction, since the contract will close at $1.00. However, prediction markets are extremely risky, and incorrect event contracts close at $0.00, giving you a loss plus your trading fees. With that in mind, always trade responsibly.
To trade, you must be over 18, a U.S. resident, and sign up to one of the top-rated CFTC-regulated exchanges that we’ve covered in this article. You can use the banners on this page to visit the platforms we’ve discussed. Before you can trade, you must complete full KYC and account verification.
Discover our top-rated prediction market sites
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Prediction markets FAQ
According to the experts at PlayersBest, the top five prediction markets are Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Underdog Predict, and Robinhood Prediction Markets. Scores from the broader PlayersBest community and other trusted sites also reflect this.
As it stands, prediction markets are legal in the U.S. and federally regulated by the CFTC.
On a prediction market, you can buy and sell event contracts that correlate to the outcome of an event that you think will happen. For example, if you thought that the Knicks would win the NBA Championship, you’d buy “Yes” contracts, or “No" contracts if you believed they would lose.
