Lots of people are asking, ‘Are prediction markets legal in California?’ at the moment, and so we’ve written this guide to clear things up. Essential for seeing whether you can get involved in the prediction markets phenomenon.
Here you’ll see how you can enjoy prediction markets from all over the Golden State, and we’ll highlight three top brands to get you started. You’ll also get a quick guide as to how to sign up to these sites, make your predictions and then execute your first trade.
18+ Only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Not available in all jurisdictions. Trading involves high risk and may result in loss of your entire investment. See polymarket.us/tos for more information. The Polymarket US App serves as an independent software provider and affiliate of Polymarket US and Polymarket Clearing, the CFTC-regulated derivatives exchange and clearing organization.
Certain limitations apply. The offer is available to new users only, subject to the terms and conditions at http://kalshi.com/tc/55. 18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information.
Trading involves risk, including total loss on positions. Trading decisions and their consequences are your sole responsibility. Nothing on underdogexchange.com constitutes a recommendation, solicitation, or offer to buy or sell any financial instrument. UDX is subject to CFTC regulatory oversight. Promotion issued by affiliate.
Binary markets
Yes
Multi-outcome markets
Yes
Ranged outcome
Yes
User-generated markets
No
Settlement Engine
Market Dynamics
First time deposit match up to $1,000 in Bonus Funds
Restrictions & requirements apply. Not available in all states. 21+. Event contract trading involves risk & is not appropriate for all. Consider if it’s appropriate for you in light of financial circumstances. See novig.com/terms for information.
You’ll probably already know that California has very strict laws regarding other forms of prediction entertainment, but there is little that regulators can do to stop the spread of prediction markets sites across the state. This is because prediction markets are regulated on a federal level by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and therefore you can use them all over the Golden State.
What It Means to Trade Prediction Markets in California
Prediction markets simply let you make predictions on a variety of real-world events and you then back up these predictions by purchasing the associated event contract. Here are the key things to understand about how this works:
You can trade prediction markets for anything from sports and politics to economics, culture and the weather
The event contracts will be priced between $0.01 and $0.99 and the price will be set by the trading activity of other customers on the site
You can buy or sell your event contracts at any time, even before the event has settled.
If your prediction is correct, your contract can then be redeemed at a value of $1. If your prediction is wrong, your contract will be worthless.
18+ Only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Not available in all jurisdictions. Trading involves high risk and may result in loss of your entire investment. See polymarket.us/tos for more information. The Polymarket US App serves as an independent software provider and affiliate of Polymarket US and Polymarket Clearing, the CFTC-regulated derivatives exchange and clearing organization.
Certain limitations apply. The offer is available to new users only, subject to the terms and conditions at http://kalshi.com/tc/55. 18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information.
Trading involves risk, including total loss on positions. Trading decisions and their consequences are your sole responsibility. Nothing on underdogexchange.com constitutes a recommendation, solicitation, or offer to buy or sell any financial instrument. UDX is subject to CFTC regulatory oversight. Promotion issued by affiliate.
First time deposit match up to $1,000 in Bonus Funds
Restrictions & requirements apply. Not available in all states. 21+. Event contract trading involves risk & is not appropriate for all. Consider if it’s appropriate for you in light of financial circumstances. See novig.com/terms for information.
Deposit $10 Get $50 in Trade Credits!
Claim Bonus
NEXTNVGCopied
A Quick Look at Some Prediction Market Apps in California
So the good news is that all of the
best prediction market sites
are currently available in California, and here are three of the best to get you started:
Polymarket – Massive Range of Prediction Markets to Enjoy
Excellent trading coverage
Powerful mobile app
Speedy deposits and withdrawals
Peer-to-peer exchange
Watertight security provisions
Steep learning curve
Visit Polymarket
Ever since Polymarket was admitted back into the US at the end of 2025, it’s been shaking up the prediction markets scene. Much of this is down to the sheer variety and irreverence of the markets that you can trade on. After all, this is the place where you can make trades on the price movements of Bitcoin over the next five minutes, or you could even trade on whether the US will confirm the existence of aliens by a certain date.
Thankfully, Polymarket also has the serious things sorted too, such as CFTC certification as well as some particularly user-friendly mobile apps. There’s a big customer base here ensuring plenty of liquidity for your trades as well as some particularly
interesting
opinions in the comments sections.
Kalshi – Market-leading Prediction Markets Brand
Accessible across the US
Simple to use
Explore niche and mainstream markets
Integrated prediction tools
Limited ongoing bonus offers
Visit Kalshi
This is the brand that dragged the whole prediction markets concept into the mainstream, and for good reason. Kalshi gives you a simple yet effective way to make your trades on anything from the winner of the NBA Finals through to peak US national debt under the current administration.
Everything else about Kalshi is as you’d expect with CFTC regulation, good customer support and a dynamic website and apps. There’s also a wealth of tools and statistics that you can use to make your trades with an extra level of precision.
Crypto.com – New Entrant Into the World of Prediction Markets
Level-Up Rewards available
Welcome offer for standard trading
Predict future prices for crypto
Choose yes/no contract positions
Complex for newcomers
Visit Crypto.com
You’ll probably know this brand for being one of the planet’s largest crypto exchanges, and it’s great to find that Crypto.com is equally good for prediction markets. The brand has been busy updating its roster to include trades for things like culture, and it’s got arguably the biggest range of cryptocurrencies that you can make your predictions on.
Elsewhere you’ll find that Crypto.com lets you make your trades via its regular app, or you could even download its stand-alone OG app that is specifically designed for prediction markets. Whichever route you choose, you should find a safe and fun place to make your trades here.
Sponsored by Crypto.com – Not investment advice. Trading prediction markets and crypto involves risk, including potential loss of your stake. Consider your risk tolerance before participating. Crypto.com connects U.S. users to CDNA (regulated by CFTC) for derivatives trading. CDNA membership required. Trading may not be suitable for all—you could lose your entire investment plus fees. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. This is not a solicitation or recommendation to trade.
Getting Started on Prediction Markets in California
So let’s take an example of how you could use one of the many
politics prediction sites
to trade an event contract on the winner of the next US presidential election. Here’s what you’d do:
Tap on any of the links for the prediction markets sites in the banners of this page to load up their website from your browser
Register your account by providing some basic personal information in the registration form
Log into your account and verify your identity by providing some government-issued photo ID
Make an opening deposit with one of the accepted payment methods
Go to the prediction markets lobby and click on the Politics tab
Find the prediction markets for the next US president winner
Click on the event contract for the candidate you think will win
Select how many of those contracts you want to purchase
Make your trade
Now you can either hang onto that contract until the event has settled, or you could try to sell your contract early for a profit. Note that you’ll be kept updated as to the price of your contract in real-time so as to make this decision.
Pros and Cons of Trading Prediction Markets in CA
Now you know what prediction markets are, it’s time to have a think about whether this is right for you. So here are the key pros and cons of getting involved in this phenomenon:
Pros and Cons
Allowed all over California
Massive range of predictions to make
Simple trading options
User-friendly sites and apps
Potential to lose your money
Conclusion – Enjoy Trading Prediction Markets in California
We have shown you that prediction markets sites are allowed to operate all across the state of California, and that they are proving to be increasingly popular too. This is because they allow you to make your predictions on an entire world of events ranging from sports to politics, and it’s something that you can easily do on your phone.
Just note that the regulation of prediction markets is in a state of flux, and so we’ll be sure to keep this guide updated with all of the relevant details. But for now, simply hit any of the links for the prediction markets brands in the banners of this page to register your account and start trading.
18+ Only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Not available in all jurisdictions. Trading involves high risk and may result in loss of your entire investment. See polymarket.us/tos for more information. The Polymarket US App serves as an independent software provider and affiliate of Polymarket US and Polymarket Clearing, the CFTC-regulated derivatives exchange and clearing organization.
Certain limitations apply. The offer is available to new users only, subject to the terms and conditions at http://kalshi.com/tc/55. 18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information.
Trading involves risk, including total loss on positions. Trading decisions and their consequences are your sole responsibility. Nothing on underdogexchange.com constitutes a recommendation, solicitation, or offer to buy or sell any financial instrument. UDX is subject to CFTC regulatory oversight. Promotion issued by affiliate.
First time deposit match up to $1,000 in Bonus Funds
Restrictions & requirements apply. Not available in all states. 21+. Event contract trading involves risk & is not appropriate for all. Consider if it’s appropriate for you in light of financial circumstances. See novig.com/terms for information.
Deposit $10 Get $50 in Trade Credits!
Claim Bonus
NEXTNVGCopied
Are Prediction Markets Legal in California? FAQ
Most prediction markets sites will require you to be at least 18 years old to sign up to their sites. So expect to have to verify your identity before you start trading.
No, you’ll usually be expected to make a deposit of your own money and then use these funds to trade the relevant event contracts. Note that most prediction markets sites don’t tend to have any special offers or promotions.
You can usually download the prediction markets apps from Google Play and the App Store. Each app should be free to download and install on your device automatically.
