How we make money
We participate in affiliate programs with some of the CFTC-regulated prediction market platforms we review. When a reader clicks one of our affiliate links, signs up for the platform, and completes the platform's qualification criteria (typically a first deposit or first trade), we earn a commission.
The commission amounts vary by platform and can range from roughly $60 to $120 per qualifying signup. Some platforms pay flat rates; others pay tiered amounts based on user activity.
Which platforms we have affiliate relationships with
We currently have affiliate relationships with the following platforms:
- Kalshi
- Sleeper
- Chalkboard
- Novig
- Rebet
- Crypto.com
- Polymarket (pending launch)
If you see a "Get started" or "Sign up" button anywhere on this site, assume it's an affiliate link. We do not mark every link with a disclosure symbol because the entire site is written on the assumption that all outbound platform links are affiliate-tracked. This disclosure is meant to cover all of them.
What affiliate relationships do not influence
Affiliate payouts do not determine:
- Which platforms we cover (we cover all major CFTC-regulated platforms available to California residents regardless of affiliate status)
- How we rate platforms (our rankings reflect editorial assessment, not commission rates)
- Whether we write critically about a platform (we have written negative coverage of platforms we have affiliate relationships with)
- Which platforms we recommend for specific use cases
Why we use affiliate revenue
Running an editorial site has real costs — writing, research, hosting, design, legal review. Affiliate revenue is how we fund the work without putting content behind a paywall or running display ads.
The alternative funding models we considered and rejected:
- Platform-sponsored content: rejected because it compromises editorial independence
- Display advertising: rejected because it clutters the reading experience and often uses invasive tracking
- Reader subscriptions: rejected for now because it limits audience reach and creates a more transactional reader relationship
Affiliate revenue lets us keep the site free, fast, and focused on readers who are actually in the market for a prediction platform.
Questions
Email hello@californiapredictionmarkets.com with any questions about our affiliate practices.