Two leading prediction-market platforms, Polymarket and Kalshi, have turned to giving away groceries as they compete for dominance in a rapidly expanding sector. Kalshi ran a $50 grocery giveaway for over 1,000 people at Manhattan’s Westside Market (84 3rd Ave.) on Tuesday, with social media videos showing lines stretching for blocks. Kalshi’s guest list indicated 1,795 sign-ups and mainstream outlets described “thousands” attending.
Polymarket announced it has signed a lease to open “New York’s first free grocery store,” dubbed “The Polymarket,” and donated $1 million to Food Bank For New York City to help residents across all five boroughs. The store, reportedly months in the works and fully stocked, is set to open next Thursday at 12 pm local time.
The promotions come as prediction-market trading volumes climb above $400 million daily, roughly four times last year’s levels. Kalshi reported $263.5 million in fee revenue for 2025, and both firms have been valued in the multibillion-dollar range after major integrations.
Both companies have pursued high-profile media and out-of-home campaigns: Polymarket partnered with Dow Jones in January and ran provocative billboards designed to invite attention, while Kalshi has used digital billboards to display market odds and partnered with mainstream outlets including CNN and CNBC. Prediction-market platforms are barred from advertising during the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.
Both Polymarket and Kalshi are based in New York City, a global financial hub home to the NYSE and Nasdaq. Their grocery initiatives have drawn public attention and large turnouts, reflecting both promotional heft and the platforms’ expanding user and trading volumes.
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