Google Finance to Integrate Prediction Markets Kalshi and Polymarket Into Its Platform

Google Finance tools will soon include “prediction market” odds from federally regulated industry leaders Kalshi and Polymarket, which will not only add value for Google users but also legitimize a rather legally murky prediction betting market.

Harnessing Wisdom of the Crowds

Details about how Google Finance users will be able to access Kalshi and Polymarket remain unclear. However, what has been reported is that the leading prediction market companies will supply information on everything ranging from sports event contracts to election predictions.

Google boasted that the agreement will allow its users to “ask questions about future market events and harness the wisdom of the crowds.”

“Just ask something like ‘What will GDP growth be for 2025?’ directly from the search box to see current probabilities in the market and how they’ve changed over time,” the company said in a blog post.

The prediction market industry caught fire last year when it correctly predicted a landslide victory for Donald Trump when traditional polling all pointed to a big win for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The prediction markets proved to be far more prescient, and they were able to offer presidential betting contracts, while traditional sportsbooks are not allowed to do the same.

Ongoing Legal Battles Between Prediction Markets and State Regulators

Things between the prediction markets and mobile sportsbooks, along with the regulatory agencies that govern them, got extremely contentious and ultimately litigious when they began offering Super Bowl prediction contracts beginning earlier this year.

Because the prediction market companies are federally governed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), they are allowed to transact in all 50 states without a license or permission from any state authorities.

This has prompted cease-and-desist letters from many states, yet Kalshi has won several early legal rounds in federal court, and the legal battles are far from over.

“By claiming to be federally regulated … issuers of sports event contracts can avoid myriad state [gaming] laws, including licensing and background investigations, minimum age requirements, federal anti-money laundering rules, and consumer protections such as addiction warnings and integrity monitoring,” six U.S. senators wrote in a Sept. 30 letter to federal regulators about sites like Kalshi and Polymarket.

However, this recent partnership with Google Finance only legitimizes their sports event trading contracts, much to the chagrin of state gaming authorities.

NHL Partners With Kalshi & Polymarket

Late last month, both Kalshi and Polymarket, the leaders of the prediction market, gained further legitimacy when they signed multi-year partnerships with the NHL.

This was just another indication that prediction markets are being welcomed by the mainstream. “A league like the NHL partnering with us is a strong sign that prediction markets are here to stay,” said Kalshi co-founder and CEO Tarek Mansour.

However, the NFL is taking a much more cautious approach, with NFL vice president and chief compliance officer Sabrina Perel stating in August:

“Our view is that these platforms mimic sports betting and that they are covered as prohibited conduct under our policy. That would be for all of our personnel, and now we’re educating on this point as well, specifically stating that engaging in these platforms would be prohibited under the policy.”