Polymarket prepares to launch sports event contracts upon US return
Markets for US users could be live as soon as today, after the New York-based exchange acquired QCEX in July to facilitate launch
Polymarket could bring sports event contracts to the US as soon as today, 2 October, after submitting self-certifications with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
The four filings relate to game winners, point spreads and point totals, while a separate filing related to election event contracts was also posted.
The filings were made via QCEX, which is ratified by the CFTC. Polymarket acquired QCEX earlier this year in a $112m deal to fast track its return to the US.
The documents state: “The Exchange [Polymarket] intends to list the product(s) no earlier than 2 October 2025, which is no earlier than the CFTC’s business day following this submission.”
In the sports-related filings, Polymarket noted: “Polymarket US has a licence with SportsdataIO to receive official event data, but may also use data from other reputable news outlets, subject to Polymarket US’ sole discretion. The data from the chosen source is the sole determinant of the outcome.”
SportsdataIO is headquartered in Pennsylvania and runs a data operations office out of Scottsdale, Arizona.
As per US industry newsletter The Closing Line, which broke the news, the documents initially stated the products would not launch before 7 October.
Polymarket’s imminent return to the US comes after the firm left the country in 2022 following a settlement with the CFTC.
US-based users have still been able to access Polymarket via VPNs.
The likes of Kalshi, Robinhood and Crypto.com have all expanded into sports event contracts in that time.
Earlier this week, US-listed sports betting operators’ shares slumped after Kalshi posted record NFL trading volume over the weekend and quietly rolled out a same game parlay product.
At the time of writing, the Polymarket website still shows a statement asking US-based users to join a waitlist.
It reads: “Polymarket is coming home. Polymarket will soon be available for US traders. We’re working hard to get the US platform ready for launch. In the meantime, provide your phone number below to receive updates.”