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 platforms dominate prediction markets in Europe: Betfair (the OG betting exchange) and Polymarket (the crypto-native prediction market). How do they compare?
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 has deeper liquidity on US elections, EU politics, and geopolitical events than Betfair
- Transparency: On-chain settlement is fully verifiable; Betfair's rules can be opaque
- Market variety: Crypto price predictions, AI milestones, scientific discoveries — Betfair doesn't cover these
- No bookmaker margin: Prices are set by traders, not padded with a vig
Where Betfair wins
- Sports markets: In-play sports betting is Betfair's core strength; Polymarket barely covers live sports
- Fiat deposits: No crypto knowledge needed on Betfair
- Regulation: FCA-regulated, with consumer protections and responsible gambling tools
- Track record: 25 years of operation, established dispute resolution
Our verdict
If you're primarily interested in political prediction markets, Polymarket is the clear winner. PolyGram makes Polymarket accessible without the crypto complexity. Start trading on PolyGram →