Polymarket Launches U.S. Mobile App With CFTC Approval, Expanding Real-Money Sports Betting Access

Polymarket has officially launched its first U.S. mobile app, giving American users a new, regulated way to place real-money bets on sports events. Announced Wednesday on X, the release marks a major milestone for the prediction market platform as it reenters the U.S. under formal oversight from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The app is currently available on iOS and is onboarding users gradually through a waitlist system, with Android support expected soon. This rollout represents Polymarket’s most significant U.S. comeback since 2022, when the CFTC determined the company had been offering unregistered event-based derivatives. That enforcement action resulted in a $1.4 million settlement and forced the platform to exit the U.S. while it reorganized its compliance framework.

Now operating as an intermediated exchange under federal rules, Polymarket positions itself not as a traditional sportsbook but as a marketplace for trading on real-world outcomes. This structure aligns it more closely with regulated commodities exchanges, allowing users to buy and sell positions based on the probability of future events.

At launch, the app focuses on sports betting markets, giving users access to odds on major games and tournaments. However, Polymarket says it plans to expand into more specialized proposition markets, a move that could attract users interested in betting beyond standard sports outcomes. The company’s renewed U.S. presence also comes amid rising enthusiasm for prediction markets, which many view as more reliable barometers of public sentiment than polls—especially during uncertain periods involving elections, policy decisions, or economic shifts.

Competition in the sector is heating up as well. Rival prediction market Kalshi recently secured a $1 billion funding round, boosting its valuation to $11 billion and signaling strong investor confidence in the future of regulated event-trading platforms.

Polymarket’s mobile debut positions the company to capitalize on this momentum as prediction markets gain traction in mainstream finance, sports betting, and data-driven forecasting.