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Kalshi adds 3 million users as World Cup boosts prediction-market trading

Kalshi adds 3 million users as World Cup boosts prediction-market trading

The 2026 FIFA World Cup drove record trading on Kalshi, helped prediction markets gain U.S. sports-betting share, and coincided with FIFA raising the tournament prize pool to a record $871 million.

Fact Check
Every element of the claim is directly confirmed by primary reporting. The CNBC article confirms Kalshi gained 3 million new users during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and over $1.2 billion traded on its winner market, along with regulatory scrutiny from federal-state disputes. The Fortune article confirms the ~27% share of legal U.S. sports-betting volume, attributed to H2 Gambling Capital. NDTV Profit independently repeats the same figures. There is no conflicting evidence.
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Summary

Kalshi said the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought 3 million new users to its platform and more than $1.2 billion in trading on its tournament-winner market ahead of the Spain-Argentina final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Separate estimates from H2 Gambling Capital said prediction markets accounted for about 27% of legal U.S. sports-betting volume during the tournament, up from 9% at the start of the year, as Kalshi and Polymarket expanded rapidly amid regulatory scrutiny. FIFA also raised the World Cup prize pool to a record $871 million for the 48-team tournament, with $51 million for the champion and $34 million for the runner-up.

Terms & Concepts
  • prediction market: Platform or exchange for trading contracts tied to event outcomes.
  • CFTC: Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the U.S. derivatives regulator.
  • on-chain: Recorded and settled on a blockchain network rather than through a traditional intermediary.