prediction markets

10 Stories

Prediction Markets Hook Gen-Z Gamblers

Looser rules and digital design fuel youth gambling addiction risks

(Newser) - Teenagers shut out of traditional sportsbooks are finding a back door into gambling-style wagers—prediction markets that regulators haven't fully caught up to yet. Quartz reports that Wall Street analysts and gambling researchers say platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket are drawing a wave of 18- to 20-year-olds, a...

Non-Gambling Mormon Cuts Loose With $10K Stake
Non-Gambling Mormon
Cuts Loose With $10K Stake
longform
Mar 14, 2026 2:31 PM CDT

Non-Gambling Mormon Cuts Loose With $10K Stake

Addictive experience makes McKay Coppins of the Atlantic leery of booming gambling apps

(Newser) - It wasn't the most typical of assignments: McKay Coppins got dispensation from his bishop along with a $10,000 stake from his bosses at the Atlantic to explore the world of online sports betting. In a first-person piece for the magazine, Coppins, a married father of four and practicing...

They Bet Khamenei Would Be 'Out' but Saw Payout Evaporate
They Bet Khamenei Would Be
'Out' but Saw Payout Evaporate
in case you missed it
Mar 8, 2026 7:30 AM CDT

They Bet Khamenei Would Be 'Out' but Saw Payout Evaporate

Kalshi refunds all fees, bets tied to Khamenei market

(Newser) - Prediction market Kalshi dangled what looked like a big win, then yanked it back, some bettors complain. After news broke of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's killing, users who had wagered he'd be "out as Supreme Leader" by April saw green check marks on their screens—until Kalshi froze...

Unusual Bets on Alien Life Raise Suspicions

Expert believes they were placed either by an amateur trader or somebody with insider info

(Newser) - A nearly six-figure wager on aliens has turned one corner of Wall Street-style betting into a conspiracy theorist's dream. The Atlantic 's Ross Andersen reports that on Monday night, a trader on prediction platform Kalshi suddenly dropped close to $100,000 on a contract that pays out only...

Kalshi: MrBeast Editor Flagged After 'Near-Perfect' Bets

Editor allegedly used insider info to bet on MrBeast markets

(Newser) - A prediction market is accusing someone in MrBeast's inner circle of trying to cash in on insider information. Kalshi said Wednesday it has suspended Artem Kaptur, an editor on the YouTube star's videos, after finding what it called "near-perfect" success on roughly $4,000 worth of bets...

Betting Market: US Strike on Venezuela Wasn't an 'Invasion'

$6.5M in bets could rest on Polymarket's ruling, which some call 'plainly absurd'

(Newser) - An online betting site that attracted millions of dollars worth of bets related to Venezuela's future is now under fire for declaring that the US special forces raid that seized the country's leader did not amount to an American invasion. Polymarket, a fast-growing prediction platform, ruled that its...

FBI Raids NYC Home of Betting Firm's CEO

Shayne Coplan calls development 'discouraging' after Polymarket correctly predicted a Trump win

(Newser) - Polymarket, the betting market that drew attention by correctly predicting a win by Donald Trump in the 2024 election, is now earning new headlines for a stickier reason. The New York Post reports that early Wednesday, the FBI raided the Manhattan residence of CEO Shayne Coplan, with a source telling...

In the Betting World, a 'Mystery' Over Pro-Trump Wagers

Polymarket has seen a $30M 'wave' of Trump bets in recent days, from just 4 accounts

(Newser) - The self-proclaimed "world's largest prediction market" is going big on a Donald Trump win this election cycle, based on what the Wall Street Journal calls a "mystery $30 million wave of pro-Trump bets" that have proliferated in recent days. The paper reports that at the start of...

Want Predictions? Bet on Markets, Not Polls
 Want Predictions? 
 Bet on Markets, Not Polls
ANALYSIS
Aug 18, 2008 7:23 PM CDT

Want Predictions? Bet on Markets, Not Polls

Mapping the future by getting investors to put their money on it is more accurate

(Newser) - Opinion polls have a spotty track record when it comes to predicting political events, Paul Parsons writes in the Telegraph. He recommends a clearer crystal ball: futures markets, such as the University of Iowa’s Electronic Market. Functionally the same as a financial market, IEM allows individuals to bet between...

Media Gurus Take Stock of New Website

MediaPredict.com brings a market mentality to picking the next hit

(Newser) - An enterprising start-up thinks it knows how to pick the next Da Vinci Code or "Friends," the Economist reports: virtual stockmarkets. MediaPredict.com lets volunteers use play money to bet on the success of a book manuscript, TV pilot, or opening-day take, and hopes the wisdom of crowds...

10 Stories
Most Read on Newser