Two leading prediction market platforms, Polymarket and Kalshi, have been handing out groceries as part of competing promotional pushes during a period of rapid growth in the sector. Kalshi staged a $50 grocery giveaway for more than 1,000 people at Manhattan’s Westside Market (84 3rd Ave.) on Tuesday, with social videos showing lines stretching for blocks. Kalshi’s guest list showed 1,795 sign-ups, and mainstream outlets reported that thousands attended.
Polymarket said it has signed a lease to open what it calls New York’s first free grocery store, named The Polymarket, and donated $1 million to Food Bank For New York City to support residents across all five boroughs. The store, reportedly months in the works and already stocked, is scheduled to open next Thursday at 12 pm local time.
The giveaways come as prediction market trading volumes have climbed above $400 million per day, roughly four times last year’s levels. Kalshi reported $263.5 million in fee revenue for 2025, and both firms have drawn multibillion dollar valuations after major integrations and partnerships.
Both companies have also invested in high-profile media and out-of-home advertising. Polymarket partnered with Dow Jones in January and ran attention-grabbing billboards, while Kalshi has displayed market odds on digital billboards and formed partnerships with mainstream outlets including CNN and CNBC. Prediction market platforms are barred from advertising during the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.
Both firms are based in New York City, a global financial center home to the NYSE and Nasdaq. Their grocery initiatives have attracted large crowds and media attention, underscoring the promotional heft behind growing user bases and rising trading volumes across the prediction market space.
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