Kalshi Scores FIFA World Cup Spotlight as Prediction Market Trading Surges to Record
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- Kalshi partnered with ADI Predictstreet, a Gibraltar-licensed prediction market and official World Cup 2026 sponsor (FIFA deal unveiled in April), to gain visibility across stadiums, TV, and online ads.
- Weekly prediction market trading volume hit a record $14.5 billion last week, with outstanding bets reaching $1.6 billion for the third consecutive week, per Artemis data cited by Andreessen Horowitz.
- Polymarket trailed with 28% of total trading volume versus Kalshi's 62% last week, reflecting Kalshi's dominance in sports wagers.
- DraftKings launched its own prediction market product, DKeX, on Friday, with its DraftKings Predictions offering expected to grow through next month amid heightened World Cup interest.
- Rothera, the exchange Robinhood began routing wagers to in late May, saw weekly volumes explode from $2.1 million to $805 million, per Artemis data.
- Bernstein analysts called the World Cup a potential "watershed moment" for the prediction market sector, noting that Robinhood and Coinbase are using the tournament to accelerate growth for their respective offerings.
Why it matters: DraftKings entering an already crowded field signals prediction markets are crossing into mainstream sports-betting territory, with Kalshi capturing 62% of a $14.5 billion weekly market. Rothera going from $2.1M to $805M in weeks shows how rapidly capital is migrating to platforms operating in regulatory gray zones — intensifying pressure on whether prediction markets face gambling-style oversight as the World Cup turbocharges adoption.
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