Prediction Market Traders Are Crypto Enthusiasts, Not Sports Bettors, Data Shows

From Sooth's ELI Report, a new article reframes who actually trades on prediction markets — and the answer reshapes the competitive landscape. Of the 17 million Americans expected to participate in 2026, only 40–50% also bet on sports, far less crossover than the industry has assumed. These users engage with cryptocurrency at triple the national rate, prefer decentralized platforms over conventional banking, cluster in tech-forward cities like Nashville, Austin, and Fort Collins, and are 90% male. With platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket now running influencer campaigns to acquire female users, Baer suggests whichever operator solves gender diversification first could secure dominant market share — a strategic opening visible only when the actual customer is correctly identified.