World Cup Drives Prediction Markets to a Record Month
United States.- 5 August 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com US prediction markets reached a new record during July 2026, generating average daily trading volume of USD 1.91 billion.
The FIFA World Cup was the main driver of activity, although contracts linked to politics, economics and other events also recorded monthly growth.
News Details
Average daily volume increased by 9% compared with June, supported by strong participation in sports contracts associated with the World Cup.
Sports markets generated an average of USD 1.33 billion per day, representing monthly growth of 12%, and accounted for 76% of all trading activity during July. Their share had stood at 67% in June.
Non-sports contracts also continued to expand. Their average daily volume increased by 5% to USD 424 million.
The performance indicates that users are increasingly turning to these platforms to trade outcomes connected with elections, economic indicators and other real-world events, even during periods dominated by major sporting competitions.
Industry Context
The FIFA World Cup became the highest-volume event in prediction market history.
The tournament generated approximately USD 20 billion in trading volume, significantly exceeding the USD 3.6 billion associated with the 2024 US presidential election, which had previously been the sector’s largest event.
Platforms outside the group of leading operators generated a combined average daily volume of USD 161 million. Their market share fell from 10% to 8%, although some newer participants continued to gain traction.
Rothera, developed through a partnership between Robinhood and Susquehanna International Group, recorded an average of USD 70 million per day, an increase of 24% from the previous month.
Next Steps or Impact
The growth was accompanied by corporate activity reflecting increasing investor interest in the sector.
Fanatics announced the acquisition of a regulated exchange and clearinghouse from BGC Group, while IG Group agreed to acquire prediction market operator Underdog in a transaction valued at USD 1.3 billion.
The expansion of non-sports contracts and the arrival of new companies could gradually reduce the sector’s dependence on major sporting events.
However, the decline in activity after World Cup contracts expired shows that platforms must continue developing a more stable and diversified offering to maintain these record trading levels.
EditĂł: @fonta
