World Cup Prediction Markets Draw $5 Billion, Exposing $9 Million Losses
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 19
World Cup Prediction Markets Draw $5 Billion, Exposing $9 Million Losses
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 19
Summary
$5 billion-plus has been traded on 2026 World Cup contracts across Polymarket and US-regulated Kalshi, turning the tournament into a public ledger of outsized bets.
That surge is producing visible extremes in returns because the platforms record positions and outcomes in real time, highlighting both multimillion-dollar winners and steep losses.
One Polymarket user lost nearly $9 million on a failed bet that Belgium would beat Egypt, underscoring how quickly tournament wagers can swing.
The World Cup boom adds momentum to the fast-growing prediction-market industry, with major global events drawing more volume and scrutiny to the sector.