Web3 Gaming

DraftKings Enters Prediction Markets With CFTC-Approved App For Real-World Events

DraftKings has unveiled a new standalone app for real-money prediction markets, becoming the latest major player to enter a field that includes crypto-native platforms like Polymarket and Robinhood’s event contracts. The product, called DraftKings Predictions, lets users trade on the outcomes of real-world events, starting with sports and finance, the company announced on Friday.

It is registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the National Futures Association and will be available in 38 states to buy and sell event contracts. To deepen its market offerings, DraftKings will connect to exchanges like CME Group and plans to incorporate Railbird Technologies, which it recently acquired. That integration is expected to broaden the types of available markets and improve economics over time, it said.

This move puts DraftKings in direct competition with Polymarket, a popular crypto-based prediction market platform, and Robinhood (HOOD), which earlier this year launched event contracts for sports outcomes. Unlike Polymarket, which relies on blockchain-based infrastructure and stablecoins, DraftKings operates entirely within the existing financial system and app ecosystem.

Aside from the AI boom, prediction markets have quietly become one of the biggest financial stories of the year. Once a niche corner of crypto, markets for betting on real-world outcomes — from elections to sports to economic data — have surged into the mainstream. Platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi have seen record-breaking volumes, drawing in retail traders and hedge funds alike, and become double-digit billion dollar companies. 

What’s driving the shift is a mix of regulatory clarity and cultural momentum. The CFTC’s greenlighting of certain event contracts has opened the door for more structured, compliant products, while the public appetite for real-time, high-stakes speculation has never been stronger.

Terron Gold

Recent Posts

CoinMarketCap Buys CoinGlass to Bring Derivatives Data to 115 Million Users

CoinMarketCap has acquired crypto derivatives analytics platform CoinGlass, combining one of crypto's largest price-tracking platforms…

4 days ago

Quant QNT Surges as The Clearing House Taps Its Tech for U.S. Bank Payments

Quant's QNT token surged after The Clearing House selected Quant to power key technology behind…

4 days ago

NVIDIA Launches Open Agent Safety Platform to Keep Autonomous AI Under Control

NVIDIA has launched its Open Agent Safety Platform, a new open security framework designed to…

5 days ago

Stand With Crypto Makes First Senate Endorsements After CLARITY Act Fails to Advance

Stand With Crypto has announced its first Senate endorsements of the 2026 election cycle, backing…

6 days ago

Trump and AI Giants Sign Voluntary Safety Pact as Pressure Grows Over Rogue Agents

President Donald Trump and leaders from some of the world's largest AI and technology companies…

6 days ago

DogeOS Launches ZK Rollup to Bring DeFi and Smart Contracts to Dogecoin

Dogecoin is getting a major utility upgrade as DogeOS launches a public testnet designed to…

6 days ago