World Cup Trading Pushed Prediction Market Volume Up in June
Prediction markets surpassed $50 billion in monthly volume in June, with their volume driven by trading on the FIFA World Cup 2026, CoinDesk reported Tuesday (July 14).
Kalshi posted $31 billion in notional trading volume in June, Polymarket’s international exchange had $10.8 billion, Polymarket’s regulated U.S. platform logged another $3.5 billion, and Rothera processed $2 billion, the report said, citing data from Dune.
The report added that Kalshi’s total was more than 70% higher than the previous month’s total, Polymarket’s international exchange set a new monthly record, Polymarket’s U.S. platform’s total was nearly double that of the previous month, and Rothera’s total marked the platform’s first month in operation, as it launched in June. Rothera is a joint venture between Robinhood and Susquehanna International Group, per the report.
While prediction markets carry contracts on a far wider range of topics than just sports, trading on the World Cup contributed to their growth, and both Kalshi and Polymarket advertised heavily during the games, according to the report.
Kalshi’s World Cup-related markets accounted for $7.4 billion of its trade volume in June, per the report.
When Kalshi announced on June 26 that it formed a strategic branding and product partnership with ADI Predictstreet, the official prediction market partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Kalshi said that during the first two weeks of World Cup play, its platform saw “explosive growth” and experienced record daily volume of over $1 billion.
Kalshi Co-Founder and CEO Tarek Mansour said at the time in a press release: “The World Cup is the largest stage for any brand. We see this as a massive opportunity to increase global awareness and fan engagement. We’re excited to partner with ADI PredictStreet to bring more fans into the prediction market action.”
It was reported in April that Wall Street broker Bernstein expects prediction market volumes to hit $1 trillion by 2030 as the industry moves from niche bets to a larger “information market” that covers sports, cryptocurrency, politics and the economy.
The report said prediction market volumes reached $51 billion last year and are on track to come to around $240 billion this year.
