One-third of young Americans view prediction markets as the future and actively engage with them, according to a survey by The New Consumer and Coefficient Capital, which included over 3,000 U.S. residents.
31% of respondents believe this sector will become an important part of culture. However, awareness varies significantly by age.
Among Generation Z and millennials, awareness of the Polymarket platform stands at 17%, while Kalshi is at 13%. For Generation X and older, these figures are only 4% and 5%, respectively.
Young Americans do not see a clear favorite in the race for the future of gambling entertainment.
Nearly equal numbers of respondents (34% versus 31%) believe that traditional sports betting and prediction markets will gain importance, respectively. Another 38-39% think the significance of both will remain unchanged.
Record Month
The scale of prediction platforms is rapidly expanding. In just part of January, the total turnover on these platforms exceeded a record $10 billion.
Most of this comes from Kalshi, with over $3 billion. The second place is held by Opinion, backed by YZi Labs and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, at $2.8 billion. Polymarket follows closely with $2.7 billion.
The sector is also attracting investor attention. In the second half of 2025, Kalshi's valuation reached $11 billion after several funding rounds involving Sequoia Capital, CapitalG, Andreessen Horowitz, Paradigm, Anthos Capital, and Neo.
Polymarket secured $2 billion from Intercontinental Exchange, the operator of the New York Stock Exchange. The platform's valuation stands at $9 billion. Currently, the project is negotiating for additional investments at a valuation of $12 billion to $15 billion.
New Partnership for Polymarket
Polymarket signed an exclusive partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS), the largest professional soccer league in the U.S.
As part of the deal, the platform will gain rights to create prediction markets for key MLS events, including the MLS Cup, conference matches, and the All-Star Game.
The collaboration will also involve developing new fan engagement formats, such as interactive "second screens" during live broadcasts.
“As the soccer audience in the U.S. grows and evolves, fans are looking for new ways to engage more deeply with the game,” commented Polymarket founder and CEO Shane Coplan.
Earlier in January, Polymarket became the exclusive data provider for The Wall Street Journal. Prior to this, the platform also partnered with Yahoo Finance and Google Finance.
Kalshi's Expansion in the U.S.
Kalshi announced the opening of a new office in Washington, D.C., to strengthen strategic engagement and lobbying efforts with U.S. authorities.
As part of this expansion, the platform appointed political strategist John Bivona as its first head of government relations. He previously served as a White House representative in the Department of Homeland Security under former President Joe Biden.
To manage state-level operations, Kalshi hired Blake Bee, a former senior manager of government and local policy at Amazon.
Analysts at a16z crypto forecasted a rise in the popularity of prediction markets by 2026. They believe these platforms will become larger, broader, and more complex due to the intersection of crypto technologies and artificial intelligence.