Kalshi adds 3 million users as World Cup drives $50B market

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered a historic surge in activity for prediction market platforms, with industry leader Kalshi attracting millions of new users and generating record trading volumes that underscore a growing competitive threat to traditional sportsbooks. The tournament's final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday, July 19, 2026, will close the largest single market in Kalshi's history, where more than $1.2 billion has been wagered on the tournament's outcome.

According to company data, Kalshi added approximately 3 million new users during the World Cup. The platform's overall trading volume reached $31 billion in June, with roughly 85% of that activity sports-related and $22.42 billion tied specifically to World Cup contracts. Combined with rival Polymarket, which saw its own volumes nearly double, prediction market platforms processed over $50 billion in notional trading volume during the tournament's opening month. Industry estimates suggest prediction market activity accounted for around 27% of all legal U.S. sports betting volume during the World Cup, a significant increase from 9% at the start of the year.

To capitalize on the global event, Kalshi executed...