Best prediction market platforms in the US (October 2026)

There are now more than a dozen CFTC-registered venues offering event contracts to US customers. This page narrows them to five, explains exactly why each sits where it does, and shows what you give up with each choice.

How we define “best”

“Best” here means best supported by the public record, not best in our hands. We have not opened accounts or made deposits, so we do not score platforms. Instead we compare six documented criteria, in this order of weight, as set out in our ranking methodology:

1. Regulatory standing. Is the platform a CFTC-designated contract market (DCM), or a CFTC-registered broker routing to one? How long has it operated?
2. Availability breadth. In how many states can you trade, and which categories are blocked by court order? Every restriction is dated.
3. Fee transparency and cost. Is the fee schedule official and public, and what does a typical trade actually cost?
4. Market breadth. Sports only, or also politics, economics, weather and culture?
5. Funding options. How many ways can you deposit and withdraw, according to the operator’s own help pages?
6. Verified-offer transparency. Is any sign-up offer published in official terms we could read, with conditions and dates?

A platform can rank lower than a rival with cheaper fees if its availability or documentation is weaker. We say so where it happens.

The ranking at a glance

The five platforms, ranked

1

Kalshi

The longest-running CFTC-regulated exchange built for event contracts, with one of the broadest market menus.

Best for: Market variety

Why it ranks here

Kalshi has been a CFTC-designated exchange since November 2020 and lists six categories — sports, politics, economics, weather, culture and crypto (only Polymarket US lists more, adding tech) — with eight documented funding methods, the most in our coverage. It ranks first on breadth despite real drawbacks: courts have blocked or limited its sports contracts in Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Utah and Washington, it is named in more of the state cases we track than any rival, and its official fee PDF could not be retrieved, so the 0.07 coefficient we cite is the widely reported figure.

Strengths

• Federally regulated exchange operating since 2021
• Broad market menu: sports, politics, economics, weather and culture
• Many funding options, including PayPal, Venmo and bank transfer
• Fees are published and fall to near zero at extreme prices

Limitations

• Sports contracts blocked or limited by court order in several states
• Taker fees are highest on contracts priced near 50¢
• The referral credit amount varies by account and expires in 7 days
• Subject of active state lawsuits, so availability can change quickly

Sign-up offer

Referral credits for new users (amount shown in your account)

The referral code must be entered at signup or within 72 hours, before your first deposit. Credits must be used within 7 days, and only the profits from them can be withdrawn. Confirmed on Kalshi's site October 4, 2026. Eligibility rules and terms apply. Official terms. Not available in: MA, MI, NV, UT, WA. 18+.

Visit Kalshi (opens the operator's site in a new tab) Read full review

2

Polymarket US

The CFTC-regulated US version of Polymarket, with official published fees and maker rebates.

Best for: Low-cost limit-order traders

Why it ranks here

Polymarket US runs its own CFTC-designated exchange and clearinghouse and publishes the clearest fee schedule in this group: a 0.0695 taker coefficient (effective October 1, 2026) and a rebate for makers. Its $25 deposit credit is set out in official terms. It ranks below Kalshi because its documentation publishes no state availability list, it has operated in the US only since December 2025, and New York sued it in September 2026.

Strengths

• Fee schedule is official and public, with a worked formula
• Makers earn a rebate instead of paying a fee
• Official, documented new-user credit ($25 for a $10 deposit)
• Wide range of funding methods, including PayPal and Venmo

Limitations

• Different product from the global polymarket.com, which confuses many users
• Sued by New York (Sep 2026) and several other states
• No official state availability list in its documentation
• Promotional credits cannot be withdrawn

Sign-up offer

$25 trading credit when you deposit $10 or more

Deposit Incentive program. Credits cannot be withdrawn, but settlement proceeds from trades made with them can. Deposit-and-trade campaigns may add more credits, up to a $2,000 lifetime cap. Confirmed on Polymarket US's site October 4, 2026. Eligibility rules and terms apply. Official terms. Not available in: NV.

Visit Polymarket US (opens the operator's site in a new tab) Read full review

3

Robinhood Prediction Markets

Event contracts inside the Robinhood brokerage app, with a per-contract commission cap.

Best for: Existing Robinhood investors

Why it ranks here

Robinhood is a CFTC-registered broker, not an exchange: it routes orders to Kalshi, ForecastEx, Rothera and Crypto.com's exchange. Its help center publishes both the fee formula (capped at 1¢ per contract plus an exchange fee of up to 1¢) and a dated list of state restrictions, which is better availability disclosure than most rivals. It places third because you need a brokerage account funded with settled cash, and we found no official prediction-market offer.

Strengths

• Total cost capped at about 2¢ per contract (commission plus exchange fee)
• Lives inside an app many investors already use
• Official, clearly worked fee example in its help center
• Several exchanges reachable from one account

Limitations

• Requires a Robinhood brokerage account and settled cash
• No verified new-user offer for prediction markets
• Sports restricted in Maryland, Michigan and Nevada
• Fewer advanced order tools than a dedicated exchange (not independently tested)

Sign-up offer

No verified offer

We list an offer only when it is confirmed on the operator's site or consistently reported by two reputable comparison sites.

Visit Robinhood Prediction Markets (opens the operator's site in a new tab) Read full review

4

FanDuel Predicts

FanDuel's prediction-market app on CME Group contracts, with sports in states without a FanDuel sportsbook.

Best for: Sports fans in eligible states

Why it ranks here

FanDuel Predicts routes to contracts listed on CME Group and has the most clearly dated official offer in this group (through October 20, 2026). Its weakness is reach: sports contracts are offered in only 18 states, according to its own offer terms. Its fee of 2% of potential payout is also higher than the formula-based taker fees at Kalshi and Polymarket US on a 100-contract order at every price.

Strengths

• Official, clearly dated new-customer offer
• Simple fee model: 2% of potential payout
• Familiar FanDuel app experience
• Backed by CME Group, a major US exchange

Limitations

• Sports contracts limited to 18 states
• A flat 2% of payout costs more than formula-based fees except near 50¢ (e.g. $2.00 vs Kalshi's $0.63 per 100 contracts at 90¢)
• The current offer expires Oct 20, 2026
• Fees also apply on early cash-out

Sign-up offer

Up to $100 in Predicts Bonus: trade $1 a day for 5 days

You get $20 after your first deposit and trade, then $20 a day on 4 more trade days. Open to 18+ users in the 18 sports-eligible states. Only the winnings from bonus trades can be withdrawn. Confirmed on FanDuel Predicts' site October 4, 2026. Eligibility rules and terms apply. Official terms. 18+.

Visit FanDuel Predicts (opens the operator's site in a new tab) Read full review

5

Novig

A sports-focused exchange that charges no fee on pre-game straight trades.

Best for: Low-fee pre-game sports trading

Why it ranks here

Novig's exchange charges nothing on pre-game straight trades and publishes a detailed fee schedule, which makes it attractive for sports traders. It ranks fifth because it is the newest platform here (its exchange was designated in June 2026 and launched nationally in August), it lists sports only, and we could not verify its funding methods, minimum age or current offer in official terms.

Strengths

• No fee on pre-game straight trades
• Makers pay no fee and may earn maker credit
• Official, detailed fee schedule for live trades, futures and parlays
• Available in 47 states at launch

Limitations

• Newest exchange in our coverage (launched August 2026)
• Sports-only focus
• Promo terms not yet verified against official terms
• Funding methods not yet verified

Sign-up offer

No verified offer

We list an offer only when it is confirmed on the operator's site or consistently reported by two reputable comparison sites.

Visit Novig (opens the operator's site in a new tab) Read full review

Best prediction market by type of trader

The overall ranking weighs all six criteria. If one matters more to you, the order changes.

Other regulated options worth knowing

These platforms are CFTC-regulated but sit outside our top five, mostly because key facts could not be verified or because the product is narrower. We have not yet published full reviews of them.

Interactive Brokers ForecastTrader. ForecastEx is IBKR’s affiliated exchange. Its official pricing page lists $0 commission and a $0.01 exchange fee per ForecastEx contract, the lowest published per-contract cost we found. It suits people who already hold an IBKR account; it lists fewer sports markets than sports-first apps.

Coinbase Predictions. Coinbase routes to markets operated by Kalshi and lets you fund with USD or USDC. It is unavailable in Nevada. Coinbase shows a fee breakdown before each order but publishes no formula, which counts against it on fee transparency.

Crypto.com Predictions. Crypto.com owns its exchange and clearinghouse and publishes the same 0.07 / 0.0175 fee formula widely reported for Kalshi. We have not verified its full list of restricted states.

Webull. Webull routes to Kalshi and charges a flat $0.01 exchange fee plus $0.01 firm fee per contract on both opening and closing trades. Reported state restrictions are unconfirmed.

DraftKings Predictions. DraftKings has run its own exchange, DKeX, since June 2026 and charges $0.01 per contract plus an exchange fee we could not verify. Its sports state list and current offer are also unconfirmed.

Eligibility and state restrictions

Most platforms here require you to be a US resident and at least 18. Kalshi, Robinhood and FanDuel Predicts state 18+; we have not confirmed the minimum for Polymarket US or Novig. You must be physically located in an eligible state when you trade, and platforms check location.

State rules matter more than anything else on this page. As of October 4, 2026:

• Kalshi: sports and other contracts blocked or limited in MA, MI, NV, UT and WA; status in Ohio and Tennessee is uncertain after a September 25 appeals-court ruling.
• Robinhood: sports unavailable in MD and NV; new sports contracts prohibited in MI since September 9, 2026.
• FanDuel Predicts: sports offered only in AK, AL, CA, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, MN, NE, NM, ND, OK, RI, SC, SD, TX and UT.
• Novig: AZ, MI and NV geofenced at launch, per launch reports.
• Polymarket US: no official list; third-party reports say it is unavailable in Nevada.

These change often. Check the prediction-market legal tracker by state and the app itself before you deposit.

How to choose

Start with your state, because it removes options before cost does. Then decide what you want to trade: if it is sports, compare the sports-eligible platforms; if it is economics or politics, Kalshi and Polymarket US have the deepest menus. Next, check the cost at the prices you actually trade — fees on Kalshi and Polymarket US peak at 50¢ and fall toward zero near 1¢ or 99¢, while FanDuel’s 2% of payout is the same at every price. Finally, read any offer’s official terms; promotional credits are not cash. Our prediction market promotions page lists the offers we could verify.

For full fee tables and funding details across all ten platforms we track, see the prediction market comparison, and for head-to-heads start with Kalshi vs Polymarket.