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 liquidity across US elections, EU politics, and geopolitical events relative to Betfair's offering
- Transparency: Blockchain-verified settlement ensures full auditability; Betfair's terms of service can lack clarity
- Market variety: Digital asset valuations, artificial intelligence breakthroughs, and scientific developments — categories absent from Betfair's catalogue
- No bookmaker margin: Participant-driven pricing replaces the traditional vigorish model
Where Betfair wins
- Sports markets: Live sports wagering represents Betfair's fundamental competency; Polymarket provides minimal coverage of active sporting contests
- Fiat deposits: Traditional currency funding requires no cryptocurrency familiarity on Betfair
- Regulation: FCA authorisation delivers investor safeguards and gambling responsibility features
- Track record: Two and a half decades of continuous operation, coupled with mature complaint procedures
Our verdict
For those focused on election forecasting and political event prediction, Polymarket emerges as the superior choice. PolyGram renders Polymarket approachable without demanding blockchain expertise. Start trading on PolyGram →