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 across Europe is anchored by two major players: Betfair (the established betting exchange pioneer) and Polymarket (the blockchain-powered prediction platform). 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 order-book depth across US elections, continental European politics, and global geopolitical contingencies relative to Betfair
- Transparency: Settlement occurs on-chain and remains fully auditable; Betfair's adjudication framework can lack clarity
- Market variety: Digital asset valuations, machine learning breakthroughs, breakthrough scientific findings — categories absent from Betfair's offering
- No bookmaker margin: Participant-driven price discovery replaces house-imposed spreads
Where Betfair wins
- Sports markets: Live-action sports wagering remains Betfair's signature product; Polymarket offers minimal live sports coverage
- Fiat deposits: Betfair eliminates the barrier to entry for users unfamiliar with digital currencies
- Regulation: FCA oversight delivers investor safeguards and harm-prevention mechanisms
- Track record: Two and a half decades of continuous operation with established complaint handling procedures
Our verdict
For those targeting political forecasting markets, Polymarket emerges as the superior choice. PolyGram streamlines Polymarket participation by removing blockchain friction. Start trading on PolyGram →