The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Prediction markets are drawing interest amid real financial stress—but current surveys do not show that anxiety causes young people to use them, or that platforms deliberately target that anxiety. One 2026 survey found that 32% of Gen Z adults were invested in or considering the combined category of “sports betting / prediction markets.” That is a measure of interest or participation across two categories, not a count of young prediction-market users.
What prediction markets are—and what a contract can cost
A prediction market lets participants trade event contracts whose outcomes are defined by the market’s rules. A contract may pay a stated amount if its outcome occurs and little or nothing if it does not; the exact terms depend on the contract. Its price can be read as a market-implied estimate of the outcome, but it is not a guarantee or a reliable personal forecast.
That forecasting role is one reason these markets are discussed as more than gambling. Federal Reserve staff research examines Kalshi prices as a real-time measure of macroeconomic expectations. The Fed describes Kalshi as the largest federally regulated prediction market overseen by the CFTC, while noting that the paper is preliminary and represents its authors’ views. A market’s potential value as an aggregate signal does not mean an individual trader has an investment advantage.
For a participant, the practical question is what happens if the chosen outcome is wrong: the amount at risk depends on the contract price, position size, and rules. Read those terms before trading, and do not assume that a prediction market works like a diversified investment account or a conventional savings product.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →#1 Best Overall
Why money anxiety enters the conversation
Financial worry is widespread in the survey evidence. Northwestern Mutual’s 2026 Planning & Progress Study, conducted online by The Harris Poll among 4,375 U.S. adults from January 5–21, found that 50% said uncertainty brings anxiety. In the same study, 72% of Gen Z adults said financial challenges had caused them to postpone at least one significant financial milestone, and 71% worried that at least one such milestone might never be affordable. These are self-reported survey responses, not clinical diagnoses.
The study also found that 32% of Gen Z adults were invested in or considering “sports betting / prediction markets,” compared with 24% of Millennials and 17% overall. The wording combines sports betting with prediction markets and combines people who had invested with people merely considering it. It cannot tell us how many Gen Z adults actually trade prediction markets.
Among Gen Z respondents who were considering or using high-risk or speculative investments, 80% said they felt financially behind and believed those assets could help them reach goals more effectively than traditional methods. That finding describes a group’s reported feelings and beliefs; it does not establish that financial anxiety led them to prediction markets, that they made money, or that the products improved their finances. Northwestern Mutual commissioned the study, which was weighted by age, gender, race and ethnicity, region, education, and household income.
Rank #2
- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Compact for travelling
How many young people actually use prediction markets?
A separate Ipsos poll commissioned by the American Institute for Boys and Men asked about prediction markets specifically. Among men ages 18–24, 8% said they had used one in the prior six months. This subgroup result is not an estimate for all young adults. The probability-panel survey included 2,363 adults overall and an oversample of 447 men ages 18–24; fieldwork ran February 27–March 1, 2026.
The same poll found that 47% of men ages 18–24 viewed event contracts as closer to gambling, while 10% viewed them as closer to investing. Those perceptions do not settle the legal or financial classification of every product. They do show why describing prediction markets as ordinary investing can miss how some users understand the activity.
Keep participation figures separate from market activity figures. Pew tracks notional taker volume for Kalshi, Polymarket International, and Polymarket US through July 2026. Its measure values contracts at their $1 notional or payout value (or the correct-outcome value), rather than the price paid at the time of a trade. It is not a measure of user losses, net deposits, money spent at prevailing prices, or platform revenue.
Are prediction markets gambling or investing?
The answer depends on which feature is being examined. A contract is tied to an event with a defined outcome; a participant may lose the amount exposed if the outcome goes against them. That risk resembles wagering. At the same time, market prices can aggregate participants’ expectations, which is why researchers may study them as forecasting signals. These are different frames, not a contradiction.
Platforms and regulators may describe products differently, and the applicable rules and consumer protections depend on the platform and jurisdiction. Before participating, check the contract’s settlement rules, the maximum possible loss, fees, and what dispute or help procedures apply where you live. Do not infer that a protection available on one service or in one jurisdiction is universal.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
What youth gambling figures do—and don’t—tell us
The U.K. Gambling Commission’s 2025 Young People and Gambling Survey covered 3,666 pupils ages 11–17 in England, Scotland, and Wales. Thirty percent said they had spent their own money on any form of gambling in the prior 12 months; the share was 23% for regulated forms when arcade machines were included and 6% when arcade machines were excluded. The survey’s youth-adapted screen classified 1.2% as experiencing problem gambling and 2.2% as at risk.
Rank #4
Those figures concern broad gambling behavior among U.K. pupils, not prediction markets and not U.S. adults. The survey also found that 49% of young people saw gambling-related advertising weekly on social media and 47% via apps. Among young people who saw gambling content on social media, 31% said influencers had advertised such content to them. These results provide context about exposure to gambling content, but they do not establish that prediction-market platforms target financially anxious people.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can prediction markets help you make money?
They can produce gains for some participants and losses for others, but the cited surveys do not measure profits or losses among financially anxious young users. Nor do they show that event contracts are a dependable way to catch up financially. A market price reflects trading activity and expectations, not a promise that the contract is fairly priced or that a participant can consistently predict outcomes.
If you are considering a trade, treat it as money you can afford to lose rather than as a plan for paying bills, building savings, or reaching a major financial goal. Decide your limit before trading, understand the settlement terms, and stop if the activity is affecting essential expenses or becoming difficult to control.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsBest Value
- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
What protections should users look for?
A 2026 NCPG/Harris survey asked U.S. adults about prediction-market platforms and raised examples of protections including deposit limits, cooling-off periods, and access to help resources. These are relevant safeguards to look for, not a guarantee that every platform offers them or that they work the same way everywhere.
- Deposit or spending limits: Check whether you can set a cap before adding money and whether changing it takes effect immediately.
- Cooling-off tools: Look for a way to pause activity or restrict access for a chosen period.
- Clear contract terms: Confirm how an outcome is determined, when a contract settles, and what happens in ambiguous or canceled events.
- Support access: Find out whether the service provides help resources and how to reach them before you need them.
Northwestern Mutual Chief Field Officer John Roberts said, “Risk taking should be intentional, not reactive, and it should fit within a broader strategy that balances growth with protection, including life insurance, disability income insurance, and other solutions that can help protect income, loved ones, and long-term goals.” The comment accompanied Northwestern Mutual’s September 1, 2026 release of its study; readers should bear in mind the company’s commercial role when weighing that advice.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
