Key takeaway: Betfair is regulated, fiat-friendly, and suited for sports bettors. Polymarket is unregulated, blockchain-based, and excels at political and real-world event prediction. For European political markets, Polymarket wins on liquidity and variety.
Two major players shape the European prediction market landscape: Betfair (the established betting exchange) and Polymarket (the blockchain-powered prediction platform). What sets them apart?
At a glance
| Feature | Polymarket | Betfair |
| Founded | 2020 | 2000 |
| Regulation | Unregulated (decentralised) | FCA, Malta, Gibraltar licensed |
| Currency | USDC (stablecoin) | GBP, EUR, AUD |
| Market types | Politics, crypto, science, culture | Sports, politics, entertainment |
| Fees | ~2% (spread-based) | 2–5% commission on winnings |
| Deposits | USDC, MoonPay | Card, bank transfer, PayPal |
Where Polymarket wins
- Political markets: Polymarket commands superior order book depth across US electoral contests, European governance, and international crises relative to Betfair
- Transparency: Settlement occurs entirely on-chain and remains publicly auditable; Betfair's settlement procedures lack such openness
- Market variety: Digital asset valuations, machine learning breakthroughs, breakthrough scientific findings — categories absent from Betfair's offerings
- No bookmaker margin: Participant-driven pricing replaces house-controlled spreads
Where Betfair wins
- Sports markets: Live sports wagering represents Betfair's primary competitive advantage; Polymarket provides minimal coverage of active sporting contests
- Fiat deposits: Traditional currency funding requires no blockchain familiarity on Betfair
- Regulation: FCA authorisation delivers investor safeguards and gambling harm prevention mechanisms
- Track record: Two and a half decades of continuous operation with proven conflict resolution procedures
Our verdict
For those seeking exposure to political prediction markets, Polymarket emerges as the superior choice. PolyGram removes friction from Polymarket participation without demanding blockchain expertise. Start trading on PolyGram →