Tuesday, April 28, 2026
FOS Expands to TV More Details

FanDuel Joins Prediction-Market Fray As New App Goes Live

FanDuel Predicts will offer markets on sports, although sports event contracts will only be available in states where online sports betting is not yet legal.

A view of the FanDuel Sportsbook betting area at Belterra Park Cincinnati.
Imagn Images

FanDuel joined fellow sports betting giant DraftKings in the prediction-market sphere Monday, announcing the launch of its own platform, FanDuel Predicts.

To start, the app is available in five states: Alabama, Alaska, South Carolina, North Dakota, and South Dakota, according to a statement. More states will open up in the “coming weeks,” according to a statement. The app from Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel is connected to an exchange powered by CME Group, which is also partnering with DraftKings on its app. DraftKings’ launched Friday to cap a wild week for prediction markets.

FanDuel Predicts will offer markets on financial and cultural questions, as well as sports, although sports event contracts—across baseball, basketball, football, and hockey—will only be available in states where online sports betting is not yet legal. Sports event contracts will also not be available on tribal lands. The company intends to pull sports event contracts from a given state as online sports betting becomes legalized in that state.

Currently, 39 states and Washington, D.C., offer some kind of legal sports betting, but only 30 states allow online sports betting via mobile apps or websites

James Cooper, SVP of new ventures at FanDuel, said in Monday’s press release that the launch “will provide valuable insights into customer engagement with this new platform, enabling us to refine our approach as we expand to additional states in 2026.”

In November, the company said it would launch a stand-alone mobile app in December

The world of prediction markets, largely dominated by Kalshi and Polymarket for much of 2025, has expanded late in the year as traditional sportsbooks get in on the game. Fanatics launched its own platform Dec. 3, followed by DraftKings on Friday. Coinbase also revealed its entry into prediction markets last week through a deal with Kalshi.

FanDuel and DraftKings—which together hold a U.S. sports betting industry market share of more than 65%—join an increasingly crowded prediction-markets field. In addition to Kalshi and Polymarket, other players include President Donald Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, Crypto.com, Robinhood, PrizePicks, Underdog, and Novig. 

The rising prominence of prediction markets comes despite continued pushback from state regulators, many of which are up in arms because of the similarity between sports event contracts and traditional sports betting. Regulators in Illinois, Connecticut, Michigan, Massachusetts, Arizona, and other states have either issued cease-and-desist orders to companies like Kalshi and Robinhood, or sued them.

The spotlight on prediction markets is only intensifying as 2026 nears, in part because of the confirmation of Mike Selig as the new chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which oversees sports event contracts. During a recent hearing, Selig repeatedly deferred to the courts when asked about sports-related contracts, as more than a dozen lawsuits continue to wind their way through jurisdictions across the country.

Meanwhile, the CFTC last week asked the public to weigh in on regulation of prediction markets. Anyone can post a public comment through Feb. 2, 2026; as of Monday, there were only two public comments, neither of which touched on sports.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

WWE NXT
exclusive

WWE Moving 20 NXT Premium Live Events to The CW

The deal includes 20 events over the next several years.

NFL Draft Viewership Slips 3% Despite Faster First Round

The offseason showcase has a surprising dip in its initial audience.
Jul 25, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; FanDuel Sportsbook at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment.

Warren Buffett Calls Sports Betting a ‘Tax on Stupidity’

The billionaire doesn’t like “things that make a sucker out of people.”

Featured Today

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 25: Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever sits on the baseline and makes photographs during the Indiana Pacers game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 25, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Why Athletes Are Moonlighting As Sports Photographers

Athletes are swapping courtside seats for sideline cameras.
Quinnipiac women's varsity rugby
April 21, 2026

The Death of Quinnipiac Women’s Varsity Rugby

The sudden decision at Ilona Maher’s alma mater left players blindsided.
April 17, 2026

The Lawyer Steering the NIL Era

In the new era of college sports, Darren Heitner is everywhere.
blake griffin
April 14, 2026

Inside Blake Griffin’s Rookie Season at Prime Video

The six-time All-Star was initially hesitant to enter the media space.
Michael Selig, U.S. President Trump's nominee to serve as Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chairman, testifies in a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on his nomination on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 19, 2025.

Trump Calls It a ‘Casino.’ CFTC Chief Defends Role As Regulator

“We can’t have them be the Wild West. That’s why we’re taking action.”
An overall look at the newly opened MGM Grand Detroit sports betting & entertainment venue called BetMGM Sports Lounge at its casino in Detroit, Michigan on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
April 21, 2026

‘Purely Gaming’: Inside the Tribal Fight Against Prediction Markets

A California tribal leader tells FOS “we have the truth on our side.”
The logo of the 2026 NFL Draft is showcased at the big screen inside the theater Wednesday, April 22, 2026 from outside Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.
April 23, 2026

NFL Draft Odds Chaos Pits Insiders Against the Market

There’s been plenty of line movement for the No. 2 pick.
Sponsored

Why Brandon Marshall Bet on Athlete-Owned Media

Brandon Marshall on athlete media, life after football, building I AM ATHLETE.
April 9, 2026

College Athletes Are Ignoring NCAA Gambling Bans

“We were going to bet regardless,” says one former D-I athlete.
Jan 14, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., delivers remarks during a Senate Armed Services committee hearing on the expected nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.
March 31, 2026

‘Astonishing and Appalling’: Senator Blasts MLB-Polymarket Deal

A Connecticut senator says prediction markets are part of an “addiction conspiracy.”
March 30, 2026

NFL Warns Prediction Markets Operators Over Vulnerable Bets

Ongoing litigation in the burgeoning industry has muddied the waters.
The March Madness logo is pictured during a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday March 21, 2026.
March 23, 2026

Coinbase Takes Heat for Pushing March Madness Markets

Viral posts showed that users feel pummeled by sports event contract promotion.