The 2026 FIFA World Cup was anticipated to be the largest gambling event in history, leading to increased trading volumes on prediction market platforms in June:
- Prediction market platform Kalshi recorded over $30 billion in trading volume last month, while Polymarket hit a record high of $10.8 billion:
- Even Rothera, which launched only in June, saw more than $2 billion in trading volume:
Kalshi saw over $31 billion in June, a more than 70% increase from May's total of $17.9 billion:
Polymarket's international event contract exchange set a new record high in monthly volume, exceeding $10.8 billion in June:
Team USA is set to play Belgium, with over $64 million traded on Kalshi and $122 million on Polymarket regarding the U.S. winning:
Rothera, a joint venture between Susquehanna International Group and Robinhood, recorded $2 billion in trading volume in June:
All platforms leaned into the World Cup to boost traffic:
Kalshi now has open interest above $1 billion, while Polymarket's is just under $400 million:
Asaf Meir, CEO of Solidus Labs, noted that the World Cup is a key moment for platforms:
