Polymarket has launched a mobile app in the US that offers users a new way to bet on sporting events using real money under federal oversight, the company announced on X Wednesday.
The app, currently available for iOS, opens access to users on a rolling basis through a waiting list system. Android support is expected soon, the company said.
This marks a major return for Polymarket in the US following its 2022 run-in with regulators. The platform had previously been barred from operating on the sovereign side after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) found it offered unregistered event-based derivatives. That led to a $1.4 million settlement and a pivot toward compliance.
Now, with formal CFTC approval in hand, Polymarket operates as an intermediary exchange under US federal regulations, just like traditional commodity platforms. The company does not position itself as a sportsbook, but as a place for trading the results of real-world events.
For now, the app focuses on sports and offers betting markets for big games and tournaments. But Polymarket says it plans to expand quickly into proposition betting.
Polymarket’s return to the US coincides with growing interest in prediction markets as alternatives to polling and expertise. Proponents argue that these markets can provide valuable signals about public expectations and sentiment, especially in uncertain scenarios such as elections, political decisions or economic events.
Rival platform Kalshi recently closed a $1 billion funding round, valuing the company at $11 billion.
