The rise of election betting

Today we’re talking about a breakout story of this election cycle: the rise of prediction markets and betting on elections. For the first time in a century, Americans can legally place bets on election outcomes using a platform called Kalshi. But the Commodity Futures Trading Commission warns that these markets could warp the public’s understanding of our elections if they’re treated like polls. On this Election Day episode, Cantrell Dumas of Better Markets, a financial reform advocacy group, explains how Americans are dabbling in election betting, the legal questions surrounding these prediction markets, and why he believes manipulation of these markets has the potential to sway elections.

Then, we’ll dig into the history of the “I Voted” sticker and hear a perfect poem for Election Day. Plus, a listener shares what moving abroad taught them about the U.S. voting system.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Election betting is newly legal — and risks getting confused with polls” from NBC News
• “Exclusive: Election betting site Polymarket gives Trump a 67% chance of winning but is rife with fake ‘wash’ trading, researchers say” from Fortune Crypto
• “Cryptoverse: U.S. election speculators play the prediction markets” from Reuters
• “Wall Street regulator moves to ban election betting, escalating fight over new market” from Politico
• “The Case for Legalizing Political Betting” from the Cato Institute
• “How ‘I Voted’ Stickers Became an Election Day Staple” from Business Insider

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org.