What Are the Most Popular Prediction Markets in the UK

UK adults looking at prediction markets have a small number of platforms to compare, rather than one obvious choice. A prediction market lets you take a position on the outcome of a future event (see how it works for the mechanics). Prices move between 0p and 100p and reflect the market's estimate of how likely that outcome is: a winning position settles at 100p and a losing one at 0p. You can lose the whole amount you put into a position, so it is worth checking a platform properly before you use it.

Rather than ranking platforms, this article sets out the checks worth making. versus, which is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, is used below as one example of a UK licensed option, not as an automatic best pick.

Licence and Regulation

In Great Britain, operating a prediction market without a UK Gambling Commission licence is not legal. That makes licensing the first thing worth checking on any platform.

• Check the register. versus is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission under account number 101143. You can look this up yourself on the Gambling Commission's public register.
• Check how customer money is held. On versus, customer money is held separately from company money, and complaints have an independent route if something goes wrong.
• Check identity requirements. UK licensed platforms must verify who you are before paying out. On versus this means a photo of your government ID and a selfie before your first withdrawal, under anti money laundering law. It usually clears in minutes.

Is the Platform Open to UK Users?

Not every prediction market platform accepts UK customers or is licensed to operate here. Polymarket and Kalshi, for example, block UK users and are not licensed in the UK. Using a VPN to get around a block like this puts you outside that platform's own terms and outside UK protections such as the ones described above.

Before signing up anywhere, check the platform's own terms for whether UK users are accepted, and check the Gambling Commission's public register for a UK licence.

Market Range

A platform's range of markets is worth comparing too. Look at:

• Breadth of categories. versus covers politics, finance, sport, AI, crypto and entertainment. A platform covering only one or two topics limits your options.
• How markets are settled. Each market should name the source that will decide the result before you trade. On versus this is shown upfront for every market.
• Whether you can exit early. Some platforms only pay out once an event finishes. On versus you can sell your position at the current price any time the market is open, rather than waiting for the result.
• Ease of use. A platform should be straightforward to navigate at whatever level of experience you have. This is worth judging for yourself before you commit any money.

Fees

Fees are usually charged in one of two ways: a fee on each trade, or a fee on withdrawals. Even a small fee adds up if you trade often, so it is worth comparing fee structures across platforms rather than assuming they are all the same.

On versus, the only fee on a trade is a transaction fee of 2% of your stake, added on top of the stake, with no cap. It is shown before you confirm. Say you put £10 into a position: a 2% fee adds 20p, so you would pay £10.20 in total. Deposits and withdrawals are free within normal limits.

Whichever platform you use, check the fee structure before you trade, not after.

Why Regulatory Compliance Matters

Regulatory compliance affects how safe your money is, not just how the platform looks. A licensed platform must meet set standards on fairness, security and handling customer funds, and real money is at risk whenever you trade: you can lose the whole amount you put in.

Regulation also usually means customer funds are held separately from company funds, so your money is not exposed if the company runs into financial difficulty. It typically comes with an independent complaints process too, so there is a formal route if something goes wrong rather than only the platform's own judgement.

UK licensed operators must also offer safer gambling tools. On versus these include deposit limits, loss limits, reality checks, time outs and self exclusion, including GAMSTOP. You can read more on the safer play page.

18+ only. Trade responsibly. BeGambleAware.org and GAMSTOP.