Kalshi hits the back of the net with $27 billion FIFA World Cup windfall
Prediction market startup Kalshi saw record-breaking trading volume during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, significantly exceeding its initial projections. The platform is now expanding into new areas like clinical trial outcomes while facing ongoing regulatory scrutiny regarding gambling laws.
Why it matters
The success of prediction markets in sports and politics signals a growing mainstream appetite for event-based wagering, despite significant legal and ethical challenges regarding insider trading and gambling regulations.
July 23 (Reuters) - Prediction market startup Kalshi scored well during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, netting roughly double its projected user traffic and trading volume as fans scrambled to turn their soccer savvy into profits.
Kalshi recorded $27 billion in trading volume and saw about 3 million users during the length of the tournament, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. The competition ran its expanded 48-team format this year and became the most lucrative in FIFA's history.
The source said the startup had expected $13 billion in volume and about 1.5 million users during the tournament, which opened at Estadio Azteca in Mexico and ended in New Jersey, where Spain beat Lionel Messi's defending champions Argentina to lift the trophy for a second time.
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