Kalshi and Polymarket surge during World Cup, hitting $4.4 bn non‑sports volume

Mobile‑app analytics firm Apptopia reported that prediction‑market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket continued adding daily active users throughout the FIFA World Cup, while traditional sportsbook apps such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and Caesars peaked early and then declined. Kalshi’s World Cup winner market alone topped $1 billion in trading volume, and the two platforms together recorded a record $4.4 billion in weekly non‑sports volume – $3.8 billion (about 86 %) from Kalshi and $572 million from Polymarket.

“the sportsbooks got a sharp, early spike,” Apptopia’s Adam Blacker said, “the prediction markets got a build.” Kalshi’s user base grew across all age groups, with the fastest growth among users 46 years and older and a 106 % surge in female users. Cross‑app data showed sportsbook users increasingly sampled Kalshi, while Kalshi users were less likely to move to traditional sportsbooks. The World Cup acted as a catalyst, attracting millions of new traders who may stay for non‑sports contracts such as politics and macro markets after the tournament ends on July 19.