Sunday, September 20, 2026

The Trumps Are All In on Prediction Markets

The president’s social media site Truth Social said it will soon offer users access to prediction markets that will include sports event contracts.

Donald Trump Jr. imitates President Donald Trumps as he speaks during a memorial service honoring Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sept. 21, 2025.
Arizona Republic

President Donald Trump’s social media platform is getting into prediction markets through an “exclusive” deal with Crypto.com that will include sports event contracts. It represents the third prediction-markets platform that the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., is connected to—following agreements with Kalshi and Polymarket.

The new platform from Truth Social will be called Truth Predict and offer event contracts on everything from political elections and commodity prices to “events across all major sports leagues,” according to a statement. The platform will be available through an “exclusive arrangement” with a unit of Crypto.com that is federally registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Sports event contracts have generated particular controversy because they appear so similar to sports betting, which is regulated on a state-by-state basis in the U.S. Yet Trump Media & Technology Group—the parent company of Truth Social—intends to offer them, with beta testing expected to begin “in the near future,” followed by a “full launch in the United States,” and later a global launch “once all the requisite requirements are met,” the company’s statement said.

President Trump is the largest shareholder of Trump Media with a roughly 53% stake, although last December he transferred all of his shares into a revocable trust controlled by Trump Jr., his eldest son. Trump Jr. is also a director on the board for Trump Media.

Trump Jr. has significant involvement in the world of prediction markets—and it’s only growing. In January, he was announced as a strategic advisor to Kalshi—the same month the company launched its first sports event contracts. In August, it was revealed Trump Jr., through his investment firm 1789 Capital, had invested in Polymarket (Kalshi’s direct competitor) and would join the company’s advisory board.

Then, a spokesperson for Trump Jr. told Front Office Sports, “This doesn’t change anything regarding Don’s role with Kalshi. Don is committed to supporting the prediction market industry as a whole and couldn’t be more excited about his new role with Polymarket.” That spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

The deal announced Tuesday isn’t the first agreement between Trump Media and Crypto.com. In late August, those two entities and a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) called Yorkville Acquisition Corp. said they were entering into a deal to establish a business called Trump Media Group CRO Strategy Inc., which was described as a “digital asset treasury company” that will focus on acquiring, and potentially trading, a cryptocurrency token called cronos. 

In Tuesday’s announcement, Trump Media said Truth Social users who have “Truth gems,” a digital currency earned by interacting on the platform, will be able to convert those into cronos, which can then be used on event contracts.

Trump’s social media platform is entering prediction markets as competition is ratcheting up. DraftKings last week agreed to spend up to $250 million to buy the Railbird Exchange platform, while FanDuel in August reached a deal with derivatives exchange CME Group; there, the sports betting giant also chose not to commit to sports event contracts.

Meanwhile, Kalshi—which is fighting multiple court battles over its sports offerings, including a new one it filed Monday against regulators in New York after receiving a cease-and-desist in that state—raised $300 million at a $5 billion valuation earlier this month. Polymarket, which is expected to relaunch in the U.S. imminently after having been previously barred from operating in the country since 2022, will receive up to $2 billion from the operator of the New York Stock Exchange in a deal announced this month. Both Kalshi and Polymarket have reportedly received recent takeover interest.

Kalshi and Polymarket declined to comment, and a representative for Trump Media did not immediately respond to a request to comment.

Shares of Trump Media were up less than 1% Tuesday afternoon.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Female Athletes Rail Against Sydney Sweeney Nude Novig Ad

Pro and amateur female athletes say the spot sexualizes women in sports.
Adam Silver, NBA commissioner, attends the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference at the Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 7, 2026.

Clippers Controversy Hangs Over NBA Board of Governors Meeting

Adam Silver is expected to hold a press conference Tuesday.

Novig CEO: Sydney Sweeney Ad Puts Us in ‘National Discourse’

Sweeney got equity in the company, and the racy ad went viral.

Prediction Market Ad Blitz Gets Backlash

Platforms are trying to capitalize on the start of the NFL season.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

NFL Ratings Dip, Steve Belichick Resigns, Knicks Ticket Refunds

0:00

Featured Today

Oct 4, 2025; Tempe, AZ, USA; General action during the first period of the game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mullett Arena

How Military-Style Workouts in College Sports Get Dangerous

For elite athletes, high-intensity training can be “very appealing.”
September 6, 2026

Is Carolyn Tisch Blodgett the Future Face of Giants Ownership?

Amid changes at top of Giants ownership, eyes are on Tisch Blodgett.
September 4, 2026

Wild Transfer Window Shows How Premier League Towers Over Soccer

Spending in England vastly outstripped the rest of Europe.
September 3, 2026

Teams Are Spending Millions to Build Luxury Locker Rooms

It’s a recruiting pitch, a retention tool, and a seven-figure line item.
September 1, 2026

High School Football Sidelines Are Clogged With Content Creators

Administrators call these amateur newcomers the “pajama paparazzi.”
LeBron James acknowledges the crowd's reaction as he takes the stage for the I PROMISE Family Reunion event to welcome him home on Friday at InfoCision Stadium in Akron. The event was hosted by the LeBron James Family Foundation.

LeBron James Jumps to Polymarket From DraftKings

His endorsement deal with DraftKings expired earlier this summer.
Aug 13, 2026; Metairie, LA, USA; Detailed view of the NFL logo on the football during a joint scrimmage between the New Orleans Saints and the Jacksonville Jaguars during at Ochsner Sports Performance Center
August 27, 2026

NFL Won’t Reach Prediction-Market Deals Before Start of Season

“I would be incredibly shocked if anything at all happens this season.”
First at FOS
September 3, 2026

Three Big Tennis Tournaments Are in Prediction-Market Talks

Players are not allowed to partner with betting operators.
Sponsored

Drew Weatherford’s Bet on the Youth Sports Economy

Drew Weatherford discusses investing across the youth, college and professional levels.
Sports are shown on TVs behind a bar as guests enjoy the grand opening of DraftKings Sports & Social in Ohio.
August 7, 2026

DraftKings, FanDuel Downplay Prediction-Market Cannibalization

Traditional sportsbooks have a new set of competitors.
Fanduel logo appears in this illustration taken April 22, 2026.
August 6, 2026

Gambling Industry Gears Up for ‘Arms Race’ This NFL Season

“Competition is fierce,” BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said.
July 30, 2026

WNBA Posts, Deletes Video of Apparent Bueckers-Reese Bet

The CBA includes strict prohibitions against players wagering on games.
July 28, 2026

NBA, MLB Want More Say in Prediction Markets

The NBA said a new rules proposal “falls well short.”