Prediction Market Platforms

The regulated prediction market landscape is exploding. Here's every platform that matters — from CFTC-regulated exchanges to crypto-native markets and traditional betting exchanges.

The US has become the epicenter of regulated prediction market trading. The CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) now oversees multiple designated contract markets (DCMs) for event contracts.

CFTC Regulated

Kalshi

First CFTC-regulated prediction market exchange. Event contracts on economics, politics, weather, and more. Exclusive data partnerships with CNN and CNBC. Dollar-denominated, US bank-grade compliance.

CFTC DCM
USD settled
CNN partner
Crypto-native

Polymarket

Largest prediction market platform worldwide. USDC on Polygon blockchain. Deep liquidity on political, crypto, and sports markets. The platform that put prediction markets into mainstream consciousness during the 2024 US election.

USDC on Polygon
#1 by volume
Global access
Institutional

Interactive Brokers ForecastEx

Thomas Peterffy's institutional prediction market platform. Built on IB's existing brokerage infrastructure. Access to event contracts alongside stocks, options, and futures in a single account.

IB integrated
CFTC regulated
Pro traders
Mass Market

Robinhood Event Contracts

12 billion event contracts traded in 2025. Joint venture Rothera with Susquehanna International Group. Bringing prediction markets to 25M+ retail brokerage users. Mobile-first, zero-commission.

12B contracts 2025
25M+ users
$0 commission
Crypto Exchange

Gemini Titan

Winklevoss brothers' prediction market with CFTC DCM license. Leveraging Gemini's existing crypto exchange infrastructure and regulatory relationships.

CFTC DCM
Gemini infra

Traditional peer-to-peer betting exchanges operate like prediction markets — you trade against other users, not against the house. These platforms predate the US PM boom by over a decade.

Betfair Exchange

The original betting exchange, launched 2000. Peer-to-peer structure with back/lay mechanics. Dominant in UK and European sports markets. 5% commission on winnings.

2000 founded
P2P model
5% commission

Smarkets

Low-commission alternative to Betfair (2% vs 5%). Clean UX, API-friendly. Strong in political and event markets. UK-regulated.

2% commission
API friendly
UK regulated

How we use these platforms

Altus Alpha operates on two levels. Our reputation-based forecasting system (no real money) runs on our own infrastructure — predictions.closelook.net for Finance, predictions.aktebundesliga.net for Football. For real-money trading signals, we reference Pinnacle odds (via The Odds API) as the pricing oracle and Polymarket prices for market sentiment.

The platforms listed above are where real-money event trading happens. We don't operate a platform ourselves — we build the intelligence layer on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which platform should I use?
It depends on your location and goals. US residents have the most options (Kalshi, Robinhood, ForecastEx). European users can access Polymarket (crypto), Betfair and Smarkets (traditional). For reputation-based forecasting without real money, use our Altus Alpha predictions directly.
Are prediction markets legal?
Regulated prediction markets like Kalshi are fully legal in the US under CFTC oversight. Betfair and Smarkets operate under UK gambling regulation. Polymarket is accessible globally but with varying legal status by jurisdiction. Our reputation-based forecasting (no money) is legal everywhere.
What is a CFTC DCM license?
A Designated Contract Market license from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission — the US regulator for derivatives. It's the highest standard of regulatory approval for prediction market platforms in the US.
How does Pinnacle fit in?
Pinnacle is not a prediction market but a sharp-money sportsbook with the lowest margins in the industry. We use their vig-adjusted odds as a pricing oracle — a benchmark to identify mispricings on actual prediction market platforms.