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 prediction market landscape across Europe: 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 boasts superior trading depth across US electoral contests, European parliamentary races, and global geopolitical scenarios compared to Betfair
- Transparency: Blockchain-verified settlement provides complete auditability; Betfair's settlement procedures can lack clarity
- Market variety: Digital asset valuations, artificial intelligence breakthroughs, and research discoveries—categories absent from Betfair's offerings
- No bookmaker margin: User-driven pricing replaces house-imposed spreads
Where Betfair wins
- Sports markets: Live sports wagering represents Betfair's fundamental advantage; Polymarket offers minimal live sports coverage
- Fiat deposits: Betfair eliminates cryptocurrency barriers for account funding
- Regulation: FCA authorisation delivers investor safeguards and responsible gaming features
- Track record: Two and a half decades of operation, proven complaint handling mechanisms
Our verdict
For those focused on political forecasting markets, Polymarket emerges as the superior choice. PolyGram makes Polymarket accessible without requiring technical blockchain expertise. Start trading on PolyGram →