An overview of prediction market welcome offers
As
new prediction market sites
enter the market, the landscape is becoming more competitive. As a result, prediction market bonuses are becoming more common as the various exchanges and platforms need to incentivize traders to choose them ahead of the competition.
Common offers include things like Trading Credits and Bonus funds that you can receive when you sign up, deposit, and trade a certain amount. As with all promotions, there are some Terms and Conditions to be aware of, but we’ll highlight these and show you how to navigate them in this guide.
One thing we should say is that event contract trading is always risky, and that promotions in no way mitigate that risk. However, they can offer you a boost when getting started.
Pros and cons of prediction markets
Before diving in, here is a summary of the pros and cons of event contract trading promotions:
Pros and Cons
- Receive a bonus as a new trader
- Available on the top exchanges
- Discover the best prediction market promos here
- Available in most of the US
- T&Cs always apply
- Event contract trading always risks losing money
The best prediction market bonuses in the US
With our introduction out of the way, let’s get down to business and take a forensic look at the
best prediction market sites
for new trader bonuses in the US right now:
| 📈 Prediction market site | 🏆 Welcome bonus |
| Polymarket | |
| Kalshi | |
| Underdog Predict | |
| Prophet X | |
Polymarket – Trade $10, get a $25 Trading Bonus
Polymarket: Pros and Cons
- Plenty of prediction market topics
- Trending and breaking areas of interest
- Lots of predictions in all major subject areas
- User-friendly site design
When you sign up to Polymarket via the banners on this page, you can get a $25 Trading Bonus when you deposit and trade $10 on any prediction markets. The Trading Credits that you receive last for 30 days, and there’s a 1x playthrough requirement that you must meet by trading on eligible prediction markets before withdrawal.
To claim this bonus, you must be over 18 and located in one of the states where Polymarket US is available. This prediction market exchange is available in all states besides Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Utah, and Washington. However, there are partial restrictions in some other states, and the situation is moving quickly.
If you don’t register through this page, make sure that you sign up via the Polymarket US app. This is a regulated prediction market exchange that is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and it is separate from the international Polymarket site.
A final important note is that Polymarket’s event contracts are hosted on a native exchange on the Polygon blockchain and are settled in USDC. As a result, your deposits and withdrawals are facilitated in crypto, with no direct fiat alternative. Keep this in mind before choosing Polymarket.
Kalshi – Trade $25, get $55
Kalshi: Pros and Cons
- Find markets via search facility
- Extensive range of prediction markets
- Clear fees system
- Large help center
- Limited promos for existing customers
The sign-up bonus at Kalshi gets you $55 in tradable credits when you sign up, deposit, and trade $25 in real money. You must trade the $25 on eligible event contracts cumulatively within seven days of creating your new account. Once your $55 bonus is credited to your account, it must be used entirely within seven days.
Your $55 trading credits are non-cashable, meaning that they can never be withdrawn and are not included in your returns should your event contracts settle as a correct prediction. For example, if you used your bonus credits to buy event contracts at $.50 each and the prediction was correct, you’d receive $0.50 profit in the settlement, rather than the full $1.00.
This bonus is available to new Kalshi account holders who are over 18 and are located in an available state. As a CFTC-regulated exchange, Kalshi is technically available in all 50 states. However, that is subject to constant change due to the fast-moving prediction market landscape in the US.
There are also some partial prediction market restrictions on the platform. For example, sports event contracts are not available to trade in Michigan, Nevada, and the State of Washington.
Underdog Predict – 25% match up to $250
Underdog Predict: Pros and Cons
- Sports and economic prediction markets
- iOS and Android apps available
- Excellent help center
- Not available in all states
When you download the Underdog app and sign up, you can get a 25% match on your first deposit of up to $250. The minimum deposit limit to qualify is $10, and you can claim the maximum bonus with a $1,000 first-time deposit.
The most important thing to note about this bonus is that the credit you get can be used on all of the Underdog products that are available in your region. This includes the
sports prediction markets, but only if you’re located in a state where they are available.
The “Team Picks”, which are Underdog’s sports prediction markets, are available to traders who are over 18 and located in 21 states plus Washington, D.C. This leaves 30 states where the prediction markets are currently unavailable: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and West Virginia.
To be able to withdraw any profits that you can from making correct predictions using your bonus credits, you have to pay through your deposit amount and the bonus credits in full within 14 days. If you don’t meet this requirement, your bonus credits and any associated profits will expire.
Trading derivatives involves risk and may not be appropriate for all. For more information visit:
https://www.nadex.com/rules
and
https://underdogfantasy.com/rules. For
Crypto.com
Predictions, the term “pick” refers to a product traded on CDNA.
Prophet X – Trade $40, get $40
Prophet X Predictions: Pros and Cons
- 10+ supported sports
- Smooth mobile app
- Great liquidity
- 5+ payment methods
- Limited event predictions
- No liquidity program
This prediction market platform offers a 100% match, where you can get a $40 bonus if you deposit and trade $40 as a new user. You must make the $40 in trades cumulatively on eligible prediction markets within 30 days of creating your new Prophet X account.
The bonus is credited in the form of Incentive Funds, which are credited in three installments. On the first day, you’ll receive $10 in Incentive Funds, followed by another $10 on day 8, and the final $20 on the 15th day.
Your Incentive Funds last for 45 days and cannot be withdrawn as cash. As with the bonus funds at Kalshi, this means that you will only receive the profit from event contracts that you purchased using Incentive Funds if they settle as a correct prediction.
Prophet X is a CFTC-regulated sports prediction markets exchange that is available across the US to verified users who are over 18. While no explicit exclusions are listed, it is stated that state restrictions and eligibility requirements may affect the availability of certain prediction markets.
How to claim your prediction market sign-up bonus – Step-by-step
The process varies slightly between the different
esports prediction market sites
that we’ve recommended in this article. However, broadly speaking, these are the key steps that you’ll have to follow on most sites to receive your prediction market welcome bonus:
-
Visit
– Click the relevant banners on this page to load your prediction market site of choice
-
Download
– Install the official app from the App Store or Google Play (optional for some prediction markets, but required for brands like Polymarket US)
-
Start
– Click or tap the button to open the registration form
-
Sign-up
– Enter your email address, or choose an alternative sign-up option like Google or Apple ID
-
Account
– Create a unique username and secure password for your account
-
Code
– Manually enter the promo code if it isn’t automatically populated
-
Personal
– Provide your full legal name, date of birth, residential US address, phone number, and SSN or TIN
-
Verification
– Upload your photo ID, selfie, proof of address, and any other documents requested for verification
-
Suitability
– You must complete a short financial suitability questionnaire that includes details of your employment, annual income, estimated net worth, and previous trading experience
-
Deposit
– Fund your account with the minimum amount required to claim the bonus
-
Trade
– Meet the trading requirement on sports prediction markets or other eligible event contracts
-
Bonus
– Receive and use your trading bonus credits once the requirements have been met
Besides the welcome bonus, many prediction market platforms offer promotions to their existing players to keep them happy and maintain their custom. Here are some of the types of offers that you can expect:
- Loyalty programs
– A point-based system with levels where you can receive benefits and bonuses based on your trading activity and volume on your chosen prediction market site.
- Maker rebates
– Platforms like Polymarket offer maker rebates as an incentive for traders to add liquidity to their prediction markets. Basically, if you place an order that doesn’t have a counterparty ready and waiting, you’ll receive some of your money back if the order is taken. Not all exchanges offer maker rebates, but most at least reduce or waive the trading fees for market makers.
- Fee discounts
– Some platforms may occasionally offer discounted or waived fees for certain markets. For example, the
best college prediction markets
might offer a temporary 40% discount on the fees for NCAA football prediction markets at the start of the season.
- Refer-a-friend promotions
– Most prediction market apps offer some form of bonus for referring friends to the site. For example, Kalshi and Polymarket US both offer you $25 in trading credits for every friend you refer to the site. To get the bonus, your friend must register, get verified, and complete a small trading requirement.
Top 5 expert tips for using your prediction market bonuses
Before we finish, here are our five expert tips to help you get the most out of your prediction market bonuses:
Firstly and most importantly, never deposit and trade with an amount of money that you cannot afford to lose. Even if this means that you will fall below the threshold, you should still stick to your budget. Never stretch yourself financially just to take advantage of a promotion.
The trading requirements and bonus credits always have time limits that you need to work within. Set an alarm, notifications, or track via a spreadsheet; whatever works to help you stay within the time limits.
Even when using bonus trading credits, always stick to prediction markets related to events that you follow and understand. In other words, if you’re a sports fan, don’t buy event contracts on a crypto prediction market as an experiment.
🥚 Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket
With all of the promotions we’ve recommended in this guide, the qualifying trading requirements and the bonus credits are cumulative and can be spread across multiple trades. Therefore, you don’t have to put everything into one event contract.
📊 Track the playthrough requirement
Remember that with some prediction market bonuses, you need to trade your deposit and bonus amount in full before you can withdraw your profits. Factor this into your time tracking where applicable.
To round up, most US prediction market apps and sites offer some form of welcome bonus as an incentive for potential new traders. Polymarket, Kalshi, and Prophet X all give you trading credits when you sign up and meet the cash trading requirement. Meanwhile at Underdog Predict, you can receive a direct 25% match on your first deposit.
If you’ve decided on a bonus, you can click the relevant banner on this page to create your account. Just remember that event contract trading always carries a high risk of losing money, even when there are promotions involved.
Best prediction market bonuses FAQ
💰 What are the best prediction market bonuses?
Some of the best welcome offers for prediction markets include the “Trade $10, get $25 “ offer at Polymarket US and the “Trade $25, get $55” bonus at Kalshi. If you prefer a deposit match, you can get 25% up to $250 at Underdog Predict.
You can find valid promo codes for prediction market sites here at thegruelingtruth.com. In cases where a promo code isn’t needed, you can click the promotional banner on our page to activate the offer.
📝 How do you get a prediction market sign-up bonus?
The steps vary depending on the exact offer, but you usually need to sign up, deposit, and trade a certain amount to get your bonus credits as a new trader on a prediction market platform.
