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 centres on two major players: Betfair (the established betting exchange) and Polymarket (the blockchain-powered prediction platform). 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 across US elections, European political contests, and global geopolitical outcomes relative to Betfair
- Transparency: Settlement occurs on-chain and remains fully auditable; Betfair's rulebook can lack clarity
- Market variety: Digital asset valuations, artificial intelligence breakthroughs, academic research milestones — categories Betfair simply does not service
- No bookmaker margin: Participant-driven pricing eliminates the house edge built into traditional odds
Where Betfair wins
- Sports markets: Live sports wagering represents Betfair's fundamental competitive advantage; Polymarket offers minimal coverage of active sporting events
- Fiat deposits: Conventional payment methods eliminate the requirement to understand blockchain technology on Betfair
- Regulation: FCA authorisation delivers investor safeguards and problem gambling prevention mechanisms
- Track record: Over two decades of market operation, plus established complaint handling infrastructure
Our verdict
For those targeting political prediction markets specifically, Polymarket emerges as the superior choice. PolyGram removes friction from Polymarket access without demanding technical expertise. Start trading on PolyGram →