PredictIt review

PredictIt is the long-running, politics-only prediction market. Its legal footing was settled in 2025, its $850 cap rose to $3,500, and in 2026 it dropped its 5% withdrawal fee, though the 10% profit fee still makes it pricier than the big exchanges.

PredictIt is a legal, politics-only prediction market for US persons, and it remains the deepest venue for election and policy trading. As of October 2026 its main cost is a 10% fee on profitable trades. Its 5% withdrawal fee is gone, and the per-contract limit is $3,500.

Our verdict

Score: 7.2 / 10. PredictIt is the specialist’s home for political markets. It has run since 2014 and, after years of legal uncertainty, a federal court in Texas permanently barred the CFTC from closing it in July 2025. If US elections, primaries, Congress and policy are your focus, its catalogue and community are hard to beat. On cost, though, it falls behind the big exchanges, and it offers nothing beyond politics.

What changed at PredictIt in 2025 and 2026

PredictIt’s rules have changed more in the last 18 months than in the previous decade:

• July 14, 2025: CFTC Letter 25-20 let Victoria University of Wellington hand operation of the market to the Prediction Market Research Consortium (PMRC), a US not-for-profit. It also raised the per-contract limit from $850 to $3,500 and removed the old limit of 5,000 traders per contract.
• July 2025: in Clarke v. CFTC, the US District Court for the Western District of Texas permanently barred the CFTC from closing PredictIt. A legal summary by Wolters Kluwer notes that the CFTC “did not oppose” that relief under its new chairman.
• 2026: PredictIt dropped its 5% withdrawal fee. Its FAQ (updated September 22, 2026) now says it “does not charge a fee to process standard withdrawals from active accounts.” A tax FAQ adds that withdrawal fees appear on tax statements “through tax year 2025.”

Aristotle International, which services the market, also won CFTC approval for a separate exchange in September 2025 and sold it to Underdog in March 2026 (the sale was reported in the trade press). PredictIt was not part of that deal. A PredictIt spokesperson told DeFi Rate in March 2026 that it “will continue operating under the CFTC no-action letter framework.”

PredictIt fees in October 2026

• 10% of profit on any trade that makes money. PredictIt’s FAQ: “Any time you sell shares for a higher price than you paid, we charge a fee of 10 percent of your profit.”
• 3% on credit card deposits. Bank transfers and other methods are free, and your first deposit is fee-free up to $1,000.
• No fee on standard withdrawals (this was 5% until 2026).

Because the fee is a share of profit, it hits hardest on cheap long shots, which have the most room to gain. Here’s what 10% of the profit costs on one winning share, depending on what you paid:

Our PredictIt cost check vs a fee-per-trade exchange

Buy 100 “Yes” shares at 50¢ and hold them to a $1 win: you make $50 gross, and PredictIt takes $5.00 of it. Kalshi charges its fee when you trade, win or lose, using a published formula that peaks around 50¢. On the same order that comes to about $1.75. Kalshi takes its fee even when you lose, though, and PredictIt takes nothing on a losing trade. For a buy-and-hold political trader who wins often, PredictIt is usually the more expensive of the two.

Markets and limits

PredictIt is politics only. Under its CFTC relief the market “is restricted to political events… not involving war, terrorism, or assassination.” Its categories include Congress, the presidency, elections, state and local races, world politics and weekly markets. On October 17, 2026, PredictIt’s public market-data feed listed 207 open markets (our count). Each person can hold up to $3,500 in any one contract.

Who can use PredictIt

You must be at least 18 and a “U.S. Person”: a US citizen living anywhere in the world, or a resident alien, with a valid SSN or ITIN. One account per person. PredictIt asks for your name, address and date of birth, and may ask for ID. We found no excluded states in its FAQ.

Deposits and withdrawals

Bank transfer is the cheapest way to deposit. Credit cards cost 3%, and other methods appear at checkout. PredictIt says it sends ACH withdrawals “only to verified account holders with US bank accounts,” processes them twice a week, and that funds “should be deposited to your bank account within five business days.” Paper checks take 7–10 business days. No deposits or withdrawals can be made between 4 and 5 a.m. ET.

How PredictIt compares

If you want politics plus sports, economics and more, Kalshi and Polymarket cover all of it, usually at lower cost. See how they stack up in our Polymarket vs Kalshi comparison, or check the rules where you live in our legality tracker. For pure political depth and a committed community, PredictIt still earns its place: visit PredictIt.

Figures as of October 2026 and subject to change. Scores reflect our editorial methodology, weighted for US traders. Not financial or betting advice.

18+ (21+ where required). Prediction markets involve risk of loss — only trade what you can afford to lose. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (National Problem Gambling Helpline, 24/7).