Prediction Markets · Platforms

Prediction Market Platforms

Where to sign up, what each platform is currently offering new users, how the fees actually break down, and where the legal picture stands today. OddsReference tracks live prices from both platforms on our dashboard — these guides cover the account side: funding, fees, and eligibility.

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01 — PLATFORMS

Compare Signup Guides

Full fee breakdowns, funding options, Editor's Scores, and eligibility notes on each platform's dedicated page.

Kalshi

Editor's Score 8.2 / 10

US traders who want plain USD bank funding and CFTC-regulated derivatives

Funding
ACH, wire, debit card (USD only)
Access
Broadly available for non-sports contracts; sports contracts contested in several states
Read the Kalshi signup guide

Polymarket

Editor's Score 7.7 / 10

Traders who want the broadest market catalog and the deepest liquidity

Funding
Crypto (USDC) on the global platform; USD ACH on the newer regulated Polymarket US exchange
Access
Widely accessible; state-level disputes and a Minnesota felony ban (effective Aug 1, 2026) apply
Read the Polymarket signup guide

Legal Landscape — Not Settled

Prediction-market legality in the US is contested and moving fast. CFTC federal registration does not mean a platform is settled-legal in every state — sports-related event contracts specifically are being fought over state-by-state in real time (a Third Circuit panel sided with Kalshi in April 2026; a Southern District of New York judge sided against Kalshi in July 2026 on the same underlying question). Minnesota's SF4760 makes operating or advertising a prediction-market platform a felony starting August 1, 2026 — the CFTC and Kalshi have both sued to block it, and a federal judge heard arguments on that injunction request July 2, 2026 with no ruling yet, so the ban remains on track to take effect unless the court intervenes first. This page and the guides it links to are not legal advice — always confirm your own state's current status directly with the platform before funding an account.

Check your own state's current status on the full 51-state prediction markets legal tracker, which includes a dedicated page per state and links every ruling to its primary source.

02 — READING

Related Prediction Market Coverage

Kalshi Platform Profile Polymarket Platform Profile Full Kalshi Review Full Polymarket Review Best Prediction Markets 2026 OR Score Methodology Fee Calculator Polymarket vs. Kalshi Comparison Polymarket On-Chain Whale Tracker

Frequently Asked Questions

Does OddsReference have promo codes for Kalshi or Polymarket?
No. OddsReference has no active affiliate partnership with Kalshi, Polymarket, or any other prediction-market platform (see our Affiliate Disclosure). The signup guides linked from this page describe each platform's own public offer, verified directly against their official help centers, and link out through our plain, unbranded /go/ redirects — not a tracked or coded affiliate link.
Is it legal to trade prediction markets in my state?
It depends on the contract type and your state, and the picture is actively changing. Non-sports contracts (politics, economics, weather, crypto) are broadly available. Sports-related contracts face an unsettled, multi-state legal fight: a divided Third Circuit panel ruled in April 2026 that federal law likely preempts state gambling law for Kalshi's sports contracts, while a Southern District of New York judge ruled the opposite way against Kalshi in July 2026. Minnesota's SF4760 makes operating or advertising a prediction-market platform a felony starting August 1, 2026, and is being challenged in federal court by both Kalshi and the CFTC. Check each platform's own current state list before trading.
What is the Editor's Score shown on each platform page?
It is OddsReference's qualitative editorial rating — 7 weighted criteria (fees, market breadth, liquidity, mobile/UX, funding options, payout speed, support/trust) scored out of 10 by our editorial team from published facts and our own platform reviews. It is distinct from our data-driven OR Score, which is scoped to reproducible ingestion-pipeline metrics and currently withholds a composite number by design — see the OR Score methodology page for why.
Which platform should I use, Kalshi or Polymarket?
They serve different needs. Kalshi is the simpler choice for US residents who want direct USD bank funding and a CFTC-regulated exchange with no crypto step. Polymarket has the broadest market catalog and deepest liquidity, funded primarily through USDC/crypto on its global platform, with a newer CFTC-regulated USD-funded "Polymarket US" exchange still expanding access. Neither is universally "better" — see each platform's signup guide for the specific tradeoffs.

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