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.
The prediction-market landscape in Europe is shaped by two heavyweight platforms: Betfair (the established betting exchange pioneer) and Polymarket (the blockchain-powered forecasting venue). What separates them?
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 depth across US electoral cycles, continental governance, and international flashpoints compared to Betfair
- Transparency: Blockchain-verified settlement delivers auditable finality; Betfair's adjudication frameworks remain less transparent
- Market variety: Digital asset valuations, machine-learning breakthroughs, laboratory research milestones — categories absent from Betfair's roster
- No bookmaker margin: Participant-driven pricing eliminates the house spread premium
Where Betfair wins
- Sports markets: Live sports wagering represents Betfair's flagship offering; Polymarket delivers minimal coverage of active sporting events
- Fiat deposits: Traditional payment methods bypass any requirement for cryptocurrency fluency
- Regulation: FCA authorisation delivers statutory guardrails and player safeguarding mechanisms
- Track record: Quarter-century operational history with established complaint procedures
Our verdict
For those chasing political forecasting exposure, Polymarket emerges as the superior choice. PolyGram streamlines Polymarket participation without demanding blockchain expertise. Start trading on PolyGram →