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.
Across Europe, two major platforms lead the prediction market space: Betfair (the established betting exchange) and Polymarket (the decentralised prediction platform built on blockchain). 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 order-book depth in American elections, continental European politics, and global geopolitical forecasts relative to Betfair
- Transparency: All outcomes settle on-chain with full auditability; Betfair's settlement criteria may lack clarity
- Market variety: Digital asset valuations, breakthrough AI developments, breakthrough scientific breakthroughs — categories absent from Betfair's offering
- No bookmaker margin: Participant-driven pricing replaces house-set odds with built-in spreads
Where Betfair wins
- Sports markets: Live sports wagering represents Betfair's defining advantage; Polymarket has minimal coverage of active sporting events
- Fiat deposits: Betfair requires zero cryptocurrency experience for funding accounts
- Regulation: FCA authorisation provides investor safeguards and responsible gaming frameworks
- Track record: Two and a half decades of operation, with established complaint procedures
Our verdict
For those focused on political prediction markets, Polymarket emerges as the superior choice. PolyGram streamlines Polymarket participation whilst eliminating blockchain friction. Start trading on PolyGram →