Polymarket Rolls Out U.S. App After CFTC Green Light, Starting With Sports Events

Polymarket has launched its first US mobile app, offering real-money markets on sports events under federal oversight after securing a green light from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The move signals a full-scale return to the US for the prediction platform, which regulators pushed offshore in 2022 over unregistered event-based derivatives.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Polymarket said select US users on a waitlist would receive the first access to the new app, which opens with sports event contracts and will later “be followed by markets on everything.”

App Rollout and Product Roadmap

The relaunch follows a CFTC no-action letter issued about three months ago to a crypto derivatives exchange and clearinghouse acquired by Polymarket, which cleared the path for offering event contracts within an intermediated, regulated structure.

Under this model, Polymarket operates more like a commodities-style exchange for event outcomes than a direct wagering site, with contracts overseen by federal rules on derivatives trading.

According to the company, the new app is currently available on iOS and opens to US users in stages through a waitlist, with Android support expected soon. Polymarket is starting with sports markets, including odds on major games and tournaments, to anchor liquidity and user engagement in a familiar category.

The company plans to push beyond sports into broader proposition markets over time, including contracts on news events, policy decisions, and potentially elections, subject to regulatory limits. In its X announcement, Polymarket said sports event contracts would be the first product, with other market types to follow as the platform expands its catalogue.

Prediction Markets Gain Mainstream Traction

Polymarket’s timing coincides with a broader surge in interest around regulated prediction markets as tools for aggregating public expectations. Activity on platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi jumped in 2024, helped by heavy trading in contracts linked to US elections and macro events.

Keep reading: From Trading Floors to TV Screens: Kalshi Odds Head to CNN

Polymarket’s relaunch lands in a market already heating up. Rival prediction platform Kalshi recently closed a $1 billion funding round at an $11 billion valuation, highlighting investor appetite for regulated event-contract venues.

In October, Kalshi recorded around $4.4 billion in trading volume, while Polymarket posted just over $3 billion, reflecting deepening liquidity and user participation across both exchanges.

Polymarket’s comeback rests on a different regulatory footing than its earlier US operations. In 2022, the CFTC ordered the platform to halt unregistered event contracts and pay a $1.4 million civil penalty, forcing the business to pivot away from US users and overhaul its compliance model.