Smarkets Bets on Both Prediction Markets and Sports in US
UK exchange Smarkets is pushing into the US on two fronts: prediction markets and licensed sportsbook operations.
If you've been watching the prediction market space, you know it's heating up fast. Smarkets, a UK-based betting exchange, is making a bold double move into the US — going after the prediction market arena while simultaneously applying to operate as a sportsbook in individual states. That's not a small bet.
The play here is smart and calculated. Federal regulators haven't handed down clear rules on prediction markets yet, so Smarkets isn't waiting around. By also pursuing state-level sportsbook licenses, they're hedging their regulatory exposure. If the federal picture stays murky, they still have a viable business through traditional sports wagering.
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This dual-track strategy puts Smarkets in direct competition with platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket, which have been grabbing headlines for letting users trade on everything from election outcomes to economic data. But Smarkets brings something those competitors don't: years of exchange-model experience from operating in a mature, regulated UK market. That pedigree matters when you're talking to state regulators.
For traders and bettors, this is worth watching closely. A licensed exchange operator entering the US with both prediction contracts and traditional sports markets could mean better liquidity, tighter spreads, and a more credible platform than some of the scrappier entrants in this space. The regulatory uncertainty is real, but Smarkets is clearly betting the US market is too big to ignore — and they're not wrong.
Continue reading at US Top News and Analysis.
