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 landscape of European prediction markets centres on two dominant players: Betfair (the established betting exchange pioneer) and Polymarket (the blockchain-powered prediction platform). 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 demonstrates superior liquidity across US elections, European politics, and international geopolitical developments compared to Betfair
- Transparency: Blockchain-verified settlement provides complete auditability; Betfair's operational rules often remain less transparent
- Market variety: Digital asset valuations, breakthrough AI developments, and breakthrough scientific events are available here but absent from Betfair's offerings
- No bookmaker margin: Market participants determine pricing directly, eliminating the built-in house advantage
Where Betfair wins
- Sports markets: Live sports wagering represents Betfair's primary competitive advantage; Polymarket provides minimal coverage of active sporting events
- Fiat deposits: Traditional currency funding on Betfair requires no cryptocurrency familiarity
- Regulation: FCA authorisation delivers investor safeguards and responsible gambling frameworks
- Track record: Two and a half decades of consistent operation, with established mechanisms for resolving disputes
Our verdict
For those focused on prediction market analysis centred on political outcomes, Polymarket emerges as the superior choice. PolyGram streamlines Polymarket participation without requiring deep blockchain expertise. Start trading on PolyGram →