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 decentralised prediction platform built on blockchain). What distinguishes them from one another?
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 electoral contests, European parliamentary races, and international geopolitical developments compared to Betfair
- Transparency: Settlement occurs entirely on-chain and is cryptographically verifiable; Betfair's settlement procedures remain less transparent to users
- Market variety: Digital asset valuations, technological breakthroughs, empirical scientific outcomes — categories absent from Betfair's offering
- No bookmaker margin: Participant-driven price discovery replaces operator-imposed spreads
Where Betfair wins
- Sports markets: Live sports wagering represents Betfair's foundational competency; Polymarket provides minimal coverage of active sporting events
- Fiat deposits: Traditional currency funding requires no cryptocurrency familiarity on Betfair
- Regulation: FCA oversight delivers investor safeguards and gambling harm reduction mechanisms
- Track record: Two and a half decades of continuous operation with established complaint handling procedures
Our verdict
For those targeting prediction markets centred on political outcomes, Polymarket emerges as the superior choice. PolyGram streamlines Polymarket participation without demanding blockchain expertise. Start trading on PolyGram →