A brand new nationwide survey suggests most People don’t see sports activities prediction markets as investing instruments, however relatively as another form of gambling, with rising concern about how these platforms function and who is perhaps in danger.
The poll, commissioned by Gambling Is Not Investing and carried out by Morning Seek the advice of, gathered responses from 15,029 adults throughout the USA between March 17 and March 22, 2026. It paints an in depth image of how individuals perceive prediction markets and what sort of oversight they anticipate.
Regardless that consciousness is rising, comparatively few individuals are really utilizing these platforms. A big majority, 83%, mentioned they hadn’t purchased or traded contracts on a prediction market prior to now yr, in contrast with 73% who hadn’t positioned a sportsbook wager and 65% who hadn’t traded conventional monetary property like shares or ETFs.
Nonetheless, opinions are agency as 81% of respondents mentioned sports-related exercise on prediction markets quantities to playing. When platforms describe these contracts as “investments,” most individuals don’t seem like satisfied—70% nonetheless classify the exercise as playing, whereas solely 19% see it as investing.
“This polling confirms that unabated sports activities playing on prediction markets is a rising concern throughout America,” mentioned Mick Mulvaney, Government Director of Playing Is Not Investing. “Prediction markets try to disguise their sports activities betting merchandise as a monetary funding, deceptive People and dodging shopper safeguards are like age necessities. “Let’s face it, if it quacks like a duck, it’s sports activities betting.”
Playing survey exhibits issues about confusion and shopper threat over prediction markets
One of many takeaways from the survey appears to be how strongly individuals consider these platforms can blur the road between investing and playing. Three-quarters of respondents mentioned shoppers might simply misunderstand prediction markets as professional investments.
The language utilized by platforms seems to play a giant function. Phrases like “occasion contracts,” “swaps,” and “futures” make it tougher, particularly for youthful customers, to acknowledge the dangers, in line with 73% of these surveyed.
This has turn out to be extra seen in recent disputes involving platforms like Kalshi, which has promoted sports-related occasion contracts tied to outcomes akin to March Insanity video games. Critics, together with the Playing Is Not Investing coalition, argue these choices intently resemble conventional sports activities betting regardless of being framed as monetary merchandise.
In the case of threat, People are likely to see prediction markets as simply as harmful, or much more so than regulated sportsbooks. Greater than half mentioned the danger degree is about the identical, whereas 27% consider it’s larger.
Confidence in safeguards can be shaky. Almost half of respondents mentioned they aren’t assured these platforms present protections corresponding to licensed sportsbooks. Skepticism extends to market equity as effectively, with many doubting whether or not insider buying and selling might be successfully prevented.
There’s additionally sturdy concern about potential abuse. Seven in ten People mentioned they fear that folks with inside data might revenue unfairly, and the same share expressed concern about youthful customers gaining entry.
Help for tighter regulation is overwhelming. Massive majorities mentioned prediction markets ought to comply with the identical guidelines as sportsbooks, together with taxes, licensing, age restrictions, and accountable playing measures. Many additionally questioned whether or not present federal oversight is ample, pointing to uncertainty across the function of the Commodity Futures Buying and selling Fee.
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