A new survey conducted by YouGov for the American Gaming Association (AGA) suggests the majority of US voters believe sports event contracts should be treated the same as traditional sports betting.
The findings highlight growing public concern over how prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are positioned and regulated.
According to the Sports Events Contracts: Public Opinion Landscape survey of 2,025 registered voters, 85% identified sports event contracts as being more like gambling than a financial instrument.
When asked to consider a simple contract, such as staking $0.50 on whether the New York Yankees would win a game, most respondents categorised it as a bet comparable to sportsbook activity rather than an option or commodity future.
The report suggested that four in five survey respondents wanted prediction markets regulated like online sportsbooks.
AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said: “[The results underscore] the need for the CFTC to enforce and uphold its own regulations that prohibit gaming contracts, and for Congress to use its oversight power to ensure prediction markets are not used as a backdoor for gaming.”
Around 70% of respondents said they believed the platforms are exploiting regulatory loopholes to operate as unlicensed sportsbooks.
A similar share, 69%, said that residents in each state should have a say in whether such contracts are offered locally.
Survey says betting licences should be required
On the question of licensing, 84% of respondents said companies offering sports event contracts should be required to obtain sportsbook licences in the states where they operate.
Only 16% said they supported allowing these platforms to offer contracts without being licensed. Among active sports bettors, 69% agreed with the need for licensing, suggesting that even frequent players see a regulatory gap.
Respondents also expressed strong views on who should oversee such markets. 65% said state and tribal regulators should be responsible, while 35% pointed to the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
This reflects a broader sentiment that sports betting oversight should remain primarily at the state level rather than being handed to financial regulators.
The survey further showed that most Americans expect gambling operators to provide tools to help consumers gamble responsibly.
Nearly two-thirds, or 64%, said regulators and companies have a responsibility to make safeguards available, while 36% felt it should be left entirely to individual choice.
The AGA concluded the polling results demonstrate a clear public consensus that sports event contracts represent a form of gambling and not a financial product.