Arabic readers ask the same questions about prediction markets: who offers them in Arabic, how do global platforms differ from what suits the region, and where is the truth and where is the marketing? This is a short map that relies only on what we have documented in our own guides, and we invent no numbers. It covers global growth according to the Pew Research Center, the two execution models (order book versus shared pool), what Arabic readers were missing in language, local events and payment rails, why the regulatory picture is still unsettled, and where PolySouq, the first Arabic prediction market, stands. This is real-money trading and you can lose the whole amount.
A prediction market poses a question about a future event as a yes/no, participants put money on the answer they expect, and the price, or the share of money on each side, becomes a reading of the event's probability according to the crowd. The idea is relatively old, but its arrival for Arabic readers in their own language is new. See how prediction markets work for detail.
According to a Pew Research Center report of 27 May 2026, combined monthly trading volume on the two biggest global platforms, Kalshi and Polymarket, rose from under $5 billion in September 2025 to about $24 billion in April 2026, roughly a fivefold rise in seven months. CoinDesk (9 April 2026) estimates that Kalshi holds about 89% of the US prediction market regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. We report these figures as they appear in their sources, we do not claim them as our own, and they describe the US and international market, not the Arab region.
The two big global platforms run an order book: buyers and sellers post orders in cents, a trade executes when two prices meet, and a winning contract pays a fixed
Most platforms stayed English-first with complex financial framing, so the Arabic reader was largely left out, not for lack of interest but for lack of a platform that spoke the language and understood the region's own markets. Three gaps show: language (a native Arabic interface and content), local events (the Saudi Pro League, TASI, OPEC+ and regional decisions), and payment rails (there is no local banking channel, which is why funding runs on USDC on the Polygon network).
The regulatory picture for prediction markets is still unsettled worldwide: federal and state authorities in the United States are in active dispute over oversight of sports-related event contracts, as our news analysis covers. In the Arab world the rules differ from one country to another. So we say plainly: PolySouq holds no licence from any regulator, we give no opinion on legality in any country, and checking local rules and tax is the reader's responsibility.
PolySouq is the first Arabic prediction market: a native Arabic interface, markets covering Arab football, the Saudi Pro League, TASI, oil, gold, crypto, politics and central-bank decisions, real USDC deposits on the Polygon network from
This is our reading, not a forecast: we watch for clearer regulatory rules in the region, wider coverage of local events in Arabic, and any change in payment rails. We will not put numbers on the growth of the Arab market because we have no reliable data on it, and we would rather say so than invent a statistic.
Trading on PolySouq uses real money in USDC on the Polygon network. You can lose the entire amount you place in any market, and nothing guarantees a profit. The payout shown before settlement is an estimate that changes. The platform holds no licence from a regulator, so check your own country's rules. This content is educational and is not investment advice.
PolySouq is the first Arabic prediction market, with a native Arabic interface and markets covering football, Saudi stocks, oil, gold, crypto and politics. Most global platforms are English-first.
The two big global platforms run an order book with a fixed-payout contract, while PolySouq runs a shared pool in which the payout is fixed at settlement and a 10% commission is taken on the losing pool only. Early selling is not available on PolySouq.
The regulatory picture is unsettled and rules differ by country. PolySouq holds no licence from any regulator and we give no opinion on legality; checking your own country's rules is your responsibility.
A company registered in Cyprus, and its Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Cyprus, according to the legal terms page on the platform.
We have no reliable data on the size of the Arab market, so we publish no figure. The numbers in this guide describe the US and international market and are attributed to their sources.
Disclaimer: Prediction markets are a legal and legitimate way to trade information about the outcomes of future events. However, trading carries risk and you may lose the full amount you trade — so only trade what you can afford to lose. This content is educational and is not financial or investment advice.