TLDR
- An S&P Global Market Intelligence survey found 70% of U.S. prediction market users traded sports event contracts.
- Only 10% of respondents traded on a prediction market in the past year, while 44% had never heard of them.
- Sports far outpaced financial (36%), political (33%) and entertainment (26%) contracts.
- About 61% of prediction market traders are under 35, and 66% are men.
- 55% of prediction market traders bought or sold cryptocurrency over the past year.
Sports remain the most popular category on U.S. prediction markets, according to a new consumer survey from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The findings come as football season is in full swing.
The Kagan US third-quarter 2026 Consumer Insights survey found that 10% of respondents traded on a prediction market platform over the past year. Of those users, 70% traded sports event contracts.
The survey also showed that 23% of respondents either bet on sports or traded on prediction markets during the past 12 months.
Most Consumers Still Unfamiliar With Prediction Markets
Many Americans know prediction markets exist but have not used them. S&P Global reported that 42% of respondents were aware of prediction market operators but had not traded with them.
The research firm said this awareness is due at least in part to widespread advertising during live sporting events.
The largest group, 44%, said they had never heard of prediction markets at all.
Traders in the U.S. appear most familiar with five operators. That group includes DraftKings and Polymarket, among others.
Sports Lead Other Contract Types
Prediction market companies offer contracts on many topics beyond sports. These include timed cryptocurrency markets, financial derivatives, mention markets and political events.
Even so, sports remain far ahead. S&P Global said 36% of users traded on economic or financial outcomes, while 33% traded on political outcomes.
About 26% traded on news and entertainment outcomes. Another 11% traded on other topics, such as word mentions, weather or cryptocurrency.
Only 2% of respondents said they traded non-sports event contracts exclusively over the past year. Meanwhile, 21% of those polled said they either bet with a traditional sportsbook or traded sports derivatives during that time.
The survey showed that prediction market users are mostly young. About 61% of traders were under the age of 35, while just 13% were 55 or older.
Men make up most of the user base. S&P Global found that 66% of prediction market traders were men.
This pattern matches the customer base of traditional sportsbooks. The focus on young men has drawn criticism from some observers.
The research firm also looked at where traders live. It found that users were spread across all states rather than concentrated in states where sportsbook gambling is banned.
The survey also pointed to a link between prediction markets and digital assets. According to S&P Global, 55% of prediction market traders said they bought or sold cryptocurrency over the past year.
