Prediction Markets Boom Drives New Forum at SBC Summit Americas

SBC Summit Americas will launch a dedicated Prediction Markets Forum to explore one of the fastest-growing and most debated verticals in US sports betting.

Taking place on Thursday, 11 June, as part of the Breakout Stage, the forum will bring together operators, legal experts, and industry analysts to examine the rise of prediction markets, how sportsbooks are entering the sector, and the regulatory and integrity challenges shaping its future. The four-session programme will be chaired by Patrick Everson, sports betting analyst and contributor to FOX Sports.

The recent surge in prediction markets can be traced back to the 2024 presidential election, which catapulted event contracts into the mainstream. 

Since then, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics have all made moves to establish a presence in the space, while platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket continue to gain prominence through high-profile athlete sponsorships and multi-year league deals. Yet a growing wave of lawsuits and enforcement actions from states and gaming regulators, combined with conflicting federal rulings, has left compliance obligations far from clear.

“Prediction markets will define the American market in 2026. But navigating the grey area between financial trading and traditional betting is creating real uncertainty for the sector,” said Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC. “This forum will bring together the people who are shaping this space to help the industry understand what comes next.”

Kicking off the forum is the introductory session, Prediction Markets 101. Speaker Dan Zucker (President, Zucker Media Group) will trace how event contracts evolved from 19th-century economic hedging to their emergence as a potential billion-dollar vertical. Along the way, he will unpack how prediction markets actually function, why they have accelerated so quickly, and what their rise means for today’s gambling landscape.

The last 18 months have seen a number of major US operators expand into the world of prediction markets. During the session, How Sportsbooks Are Entering the World of Event Contracts, experts Dr. Laila Mintas (CEO, Dr. Mintas Consulting), David Huffman (COO, Sporttrade), and Dustin Gouker (Founder, The Closing Line) will examine how and why the region's biggest operators are making the move and whether state-by-state partnerships could prove essential in their strategy. 

The panel, A Question of Compliance and Integrity, will address the regulatory and compliance challenges facing prediction markets in the US. Legal specialist Dan Wallach (Partner, Wallach Legal) will examine the regulatory framework governing event contracts and discuss the lawsuits brought by states and land-based gaming groups and the compliance challenges facing operators.

Looking ahead, What's the Future of Futures?, will examine the long-term impact of prediction markets on the betting industry. Speakers Ilya Beylin (Associate Professor, Seton Hall University School of Law), Robin D Hanson (Associate Professor, George Mason University), and Chris Gerlacher (Senior Political Reporter and Industry Analyst, Prediction News) will discuss the potential consequences of Supreme Court scrutiny and what the future may hold for land-based operators opposing prediction markets and online sportsbooks seeking to integrate them.

The topic will also be addressed on the Leaders Stage during the panel "The Current State of Prediction Markets in the US.” Experts Joshua B. Sterling (Partner, Milbank) and Alex Kane (CEO, Sporttrade) will examine how prediction markets are evolving across North America and how operators, regulators, and investors are responding to the rapidly changing landscape.

The Prediction Markets Forum forms part of SBC Summit Americas’ two-day conference programme. Alongside the Breakout Stage, delegates can attend sessions covering sports betting and casino, payments and technology, regulation and compliance, affiliation, leadership, and player protection across North and Latin America.

Get Your Ticket to SBC Summit Americas:

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Complimentary Operator & Affiliate Passes: Operators and affiliates can apply for free passes for SBC Summit Americas, subject to approval. Apply for Your Complimentary Operator Pass | Apply for Your Complimentary Affiliate Pass.