One of the top prediction sites globally is Polymarket, which is permitted in several countries. If you are new to the site or need a refresher on the prediction trading experience, we have compiled this comprehensive prediction market review.

Our review unpacks everything about buying and selling prediction positions, from the types of future events to how to read market prices as probabilities, plus insight into prediction trading fees. We will also walk you through other core features, including the common bonuses, how to make prediction trades on the go, and our thoughts on the customer service.

A comprehensive guide on how prediction trading works on Polymarket

Predicts the outcomes of sports markets

Trade the crypto markets on Polymarket

Remember that the availability of Polymarket varies by region. You should check your region’s prediction trading laws before joining the site. If accessible in your jurisdiction, you can use the banners on this page to create a new account.

Polymarket is a peer-to-peer prediction exchange where you can buy and sell prediction contracts on the outcome of real-world events. All prediction trades are in binary, meaning that you make Yes or No selections.

Polymarket does not set its own market prices, rather the price of every prediction contract is based on the number of prediction trades made by other users on the likelihood of an event occurring. The higher the price, the more likely other prediction traders believe a specific outcome will occur. For example, if Spain is $0.75 to beat Argentina in the World Cup, this means that Spain has a 75% probability of winning the game.

Generally, there are six main future event prediction markets on Polymarket, and each of these has various prediction contracts. Below is a list of the main prediction markets on the site:

• Sports predictions - match winners, Championship winners, MVPs
• Crypto projections - Tokens, interval markets, projected prices
• Economic indicators - Fed, GDP, inflation, unemployment
• Culture outcomes - TV shows, movies, video games, award winners, celeb news
• Climate forecasts - Rainfall, daily temperatures, natural disasters
• Politics results - Local and global elections, Trump news, court decisions

As covered in other Polymarket reviews, you will also find prediction trading fees. Polymarket charges a taker fee (buy and sell prediction contracts at the current price). At the time of writing, taker fees apply to every future event except geopolitical prediction contracts. The taker fee rates range from 0.04 to 0.07, and below is the formula for calculating the taker fee:

Fee = C x feeRate x p x (1-p)

Where C = number of prediction contracts traded and p = price of the prediction contract

Is Polymarket a legitimate prediction site?

Polymarket is a regulated Designated Contract Market (DCM), and the platform is permitted to operate in several regions across the globe. At the time of writing this review, one of the countries where you can create an account is South Africa. However, there are also restrictions, and Polymarket is currently prohibited in several countries, such as the UK, Germany, and Belgium.

If you are from an available country, you can use the banners on this page to access the site and create a new prediction market account. While investigating the legitimacy of the site, we also critiqued the safety measures. Polymarket prioritizes user safety and the advanced security features include password-protected accounts, KYC checks, and an encrypted banking platform.

What bonuses and promotions are available?

Polymarket currently has a welcome offer for eligible new customers: deposit $10 and get a $25 trading bonus.

This offer is subject to certain rules and limits. It depends on certain factors, such as age and where you live, plus it is not available everywhere.

The offer and even the platform as a whole is open to people who are 18 years old or older. There may be rules and limits that apply. Polymarket is not available in every place. Do well to check if the platform works where you live before you sign up or start trading.

Trading involves high risk and may result in loss of your entire investment. See polymarket.us/tos for more information. The Polymarket US App serves as an independent software provider and affiliate of Polymarket US and Polymarket Clearing, the CFTC-regulated derivatives exchange and clearing organization.

Beyond the welcome offer, Polymarket also runs reward programmes designed around different aspects of trading and liquidity. These can include maker rebates and other incentives for eligible market participants.

For example, the Maker Rebates Program rewards eligible liquidity providers with daily USDC rebates when their orders add liquidity to the order book and are subsequently filled.

How to create a new account and make prediction trades

Before you can buy and sell Polymarket crypto prediction contracts or any other types of prediction positions, you first need to create an account with the platform. If the site is permitted in your jurisdiction, here’s what you have to do to sign up:

1. Use the banners on this page to access the website.

2. Select the blue Sign Up button at the top of the page.

3. Enter your email address and create a password.

4. Read and accept the terms and conditions.

5. Verify your registration.

6. Once your account is created, you can make a deposit and then start prediction trading.

Safe and secure payment methods thanks to an encrypted banking platform

Polymarket runs on the Polygon network, so the primary crypto token used is pUSD. However, you can also fund your account using other cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Litecoin. You also have the option to purchase crypto using FIAT, such as with your Mastercard, and these purchases are through third-party sites, like Moonpay, though they may not be permitted in every location. At the time of writing this review, there are no banking fees on Polymarket, and once your payment is processed, your prediction account balance should be updated.

You will only be allowed to withdraw from the site once you have submitted your KYC documents (proof of ID and address). Depending on where you are from, the accepted withdrawal options could include crypto and bank transfer. Like the deposits, there are no withdrawal fees, and the average withdrawal time for crypto is a few hours, while it can take up to three working days for your winnings to reach your registered bank account.

A user-friendly desktop website for all prediction traders

If you are from a jurisdiction where prediction trading is permitted on the desktop website, such as South Africa, you should not have any issues buying and selling prediction positions with your PC or laptop. The desktop website is easy to use, and there are several banners which make it simple to find what you are looking for. We encountered no issues navigating the site, and all pages loaded quickly and were clutter-free.

The blue and white colors are well represented on the site, and everything has its place. Your balance is located at the top of the page, plus you can use the search tool and the filters to find the available prediction contracts, such as Polymarket 15 minute markets. At the bottom of the homepage is all the informational guides, such as the terms and conditions and the latest news.

Make prediction trades on the go with the Polymarket apps

Download Polymarket mobile app today!

Trade various markets on your devices

If you want to make prediction trades on the go, there are dedicated Polymarket Android and iOS apps. You should first double-check that you have access to the apps in your country. If available to you, then these apps can be downloaded from the official Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Both apps mirror each other and include the same features, so you can create an account, contact the support team and make prediction trades.

In addition to the mobile apps, there is also a mobile-optimized website. The mobile site is compatible with most devices, including Android and iOS. To access the mobile site, enter the Polymarket URL in your browser, and the site should load within seconds. The mobile site mirrors the desktop version and includes the same features. We were impressed by how easy it was to buy and sell prediction positions on smaller devices, and how every detail and visual fit perfectly on mobile phones.

What can you expect from customer service?

If you need to get in touch with customer support on Polymarket, there is live chat, email, and social media. First, we recommend using the Help Center as there are several FAQs covered, including how prediction trading works, the applicable fees and a list of restricted locations.

Live chat should be your first support choice, as instant support is available. The agents are friendly and provide speedy and accurate feedback. Email works well if you have detailed queries and need to attach any supporting documents. Like live chat, the agents provide accurate answers, but you may have to wait a few hours for a response. Finally, there is social media, and you can contact the team on many social media platforms, including X and Discord.

If you are based in the US, here is how the prediction trading experience works on Polymarket

At the time of writing this review, the prediction site is accessible in the US. Polymarket is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and operates in the US as a Designated Contract Market. Since it has CFTC compliance, it is federally permitted in all US states.

However, the prediction trading experience in the US is different from other regions across the globe. In the US, you can only use Polymarket via the dedicated Polymarket US iOS app. Also, only sports prediction trading is allowed, so you will not find any Polymarket Bitcoin prediction contracts or even culture markets.

The same principles for sports prediction trading are used in the US, meaning that sports prediction contracts range from $0.01 to $0.99, with winning outcomes settled at $1 and losing outcomes settled at $0.

Conclusion - Polymarket is a trusted prediction market platform

That wraps up this Polymarket review, and as you can tell, the site is a trusted prediction market platform. With Polymarket accessible in many countries, it is common to find prediction contracts in many languages, but you can also set the default option to English if you prefer.

As shared, depending on your jurisdiction, you may have access to certain future event prediction markets compared to others, but the actual prediction trading experience is the same, with prices ranging from $0.01 to $0.99 and winning predictions settling at $1.

Now that you have a better understanding of the site and that Polymarket is a trusted platform, the next step is to actually join the site and make some prediction trades. To do so, feel free to use the links or banners on this page to create an account, but make sure first to double-check whether the site is available in your country.

Polymarket FAQs