Kalshi and Polymarket Hit $45 Billion in June as World Cup Drives Betting Surge

TLDR

• Kalshi, Polymarket, and Polymarket US combined for $44.8 billion in trading volume in June, up 75% from May
• Kalshi led growth with an 87.4% monthly increase, reaching $31.5 billion
• Polymarket’s main platform rose 45% to $10.26 billion; Polymarket US hit $3.04 billion
• The FIFA World Cup 2026, which started June 11, was the main driver of the volume spike
• Over $832 million in bets placed on Kalshi’s World Cup winner market, with France favored at 35%

Prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket recorded their biggest combined monthly volume in June, fueled largely by the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026.

According to data from The Block, Kalshi, Polymarket, and Polymarket US together logged $44.8 billion in trading volume last month. That is a 75% jump from May’s $25.66 billion.

The numbers reflect growing mainstream interest in prediction markets, where users bet real money on the outcome of events ranging from politics to sports.

Kalshi Leads the Pack

Kalshi posted the strongest growth of the three platforms. Its monthly volume climbed from $16.81 billion in May to $31.5 billion in June, an 87.4% increase.

That makes Kalshi the largest of the three by volume, accounting for more than two-thirds of the combined total.

Polymarket’s main platform, which operates outside the United States, recorded $10.26 billion in June. That is up 45% from $7.08 billion in May.

Polymarket had seen its volume fall steadily from March through May. June marked a reversal of that trend.

Polymarket US, the platform’s regulated U.S. offering, brought in $3.04 billion in June, up from $1.77 billion the month before.

World Cup Drives the Numbers

The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off on June 11 and has been a clear driver of activity across all three platforms.

Kalshi’s World Cup winner prediction market alone has attracted more than $832 million in bets. About 35% of that money is on France to win the tournament.

On Polymarket, individual game contracts have been drawing between $500,000 and $2 million each in volume.

The World Cup is scheduled to run through July 19, meaning volumes could stay elevated for several more weeks.

These figures come as prediction market platforms navigate a complicated legal landscape in the United States.

More than a dozen state-level authorities have filed legal actions against both Kalshi and Polymarket. The states allege the platforms are offering unlicensed sports betting or gambling to residents.

Both platforms, along with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, contend that federal oversight allows them to operate sports-related markets without needing state-level licenses.

That dispute is ongoing and has not slowed trading volumes in the short term.

The combined June figures represent the highest monthly volume the platforms have reported, with the World Cup still weeks from its conclusion.

The post Kalshi and Polymarket Hit $45 Billion in June as World Cup Drives Betting Surge appeared first on CoinCentral.