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Prediction markets arrive in UK, but with a different set of rules
The Observer
|December 21, 2025
While trading in the sector is booming in the US, players such as Matchbook may face more resistance here
Sports betting company Matchbook has announced plans to launch the first prediction market platform licensed in the UK next month, in a bid to compete with rapidly expanding US rivals.
Prediction markets allow users to trade positions on various outcomes. Bets can be placed on questions such as "who will win the Champions League?" and "how many weeks will Taylor Swift stay at No 1 on Spotify?", with odds changing based on the number of bets placed.
Trading activity on these platforms has surged, from less than $100m a month in early 2024 to more than $13bn, mostly in the US. The two big American players in the sector, Kalshi and Polymarket, recorded all-time high trading volumes in November, handling about $10bn in trades.
This story is from the December 21, 2025 edition of The Observer.
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