Matchbook will launch prediction markets in the UK in January 2026, becoming the first licensed platform to offer a dedicated prediction markets product to British operators. Branded as Matchbook Predictions, the new service is built on the firm’s existing sports betting exchange infrastructure and allows users to trade “Yes” or “No” outcomes on real-world events using live, market-driven probabilities.
The move places Matchbook firmly into a fast-growing global category that has gained momentum through platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, while adapting the concept to the UK’s regulated betting environment. Rather than relying on traditional bookmaker odds, Matchbook’s prediction markets are priced by supply and demand, with users able to buy and sell positions as sentiment shifts.
Dan Thomas, Interim Head of Content at EGR Global, said the launch highlights how the sector is evolving rather than reinventing itself. “Interested to see Matchbook are making their move into ‘prediction markets’ basically rebranding some of their exchange markets to jump on the global bandwagon driven by Kalshi, Polymarket and co,” he said. “Fascinating that this huge ecosystem was effectively kicked off by Betfair deciding to do a yes or no market on whether Cheltenham 2020 went ahead or not.”
Matchbook says the product is designed as a modern alternative to traditional betting, offering live probabilities, constant price movement and a more data-led experience. For operators, the appeal lies in differentiation and efficiency, with no trading desk required and pricing that reflects crowd sentiment rather than fixed bookmaker models.
The platform is powered by Matchbook’s exchange engine, which provides low-latency matching, real-time market data and enterprise-grade reporting and controls. Operators can integrate the product via a full white-label predictions platform, an API suite to build custom user experiences, or pricing and liquidity feeds to support their own products.
Jesse May, Chief Strategy Officer at Matchbook, said the exchange model is well suited to prediction markets. “Matchbook’s platform is designed to provide best-in-class liquidity and a low-commission structure, making it attractive for both experienced financial traders and seasoned betting enthusiasts,” he said. “Prediction Markets are a fantastic way of presenting our market-leading pricing to customers in a more understandable user interface.”
Licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission, Matchbook’s launch gives UK operators a compliant route into a rapidly emerging global betting and trading category.
But, as Matchbook is not regulated by the FCA, you cannot bet on financial markets. If you want to trade tax-free on financial markets, you need a financial spread betting broker.
However, as financial prediction markets are gaining popularity in the US, with the rise of firms like Polymarket, I expect betting exchanges to explore FCA regulation with a view to offering financial markets. Also, brokers like IG have offered financial binary bets in the past (and still do for professional investors), which may beat bookies to offer financial prediction markets to retail investors.
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