Why we exist
California has the fifth-largest economy in the world, 39 million residents, and no legal online sportsbook. California voters rejected sports betting in 2022 — twice — and the political appetite to revisit that decision is dormant.
At the same time, federal regulation of prediction markets has matured rapidly. Platforms like Kalshi, Polymarket, Sleeper, and others operate as CFTC-regulated event-contract venues, legally available in all 50 states under federal commodities law.
Most of the coverage of these platforms is either marketing-speak from the platforms themselves or framed for national audiences that miss what's specifically relevant to Californians. We started California Prediction Markets to fill that gap. Our focus is on California residents who want to understand what's legally available, how it works, and which platforms fit their use case.
What we cover
- Platform reviews — deep, honest takes on every CFTC-regulated prediction market available to California residents
- California legality — the legal framework that makes prediction markets available here when sportsbooks aren't
- Seasonal events — Lakers playoffs, the World Cup, NBA Finals, NFL, elections, Fed meetings
- Market mechanics — how event contracts actually work, how pricing moves, how to think about probability
- Comparisons — side-by-side looks at the most common platform decisions
Who we are
California Prediction Markets is written and edited by Catie Di Stefano, an independent California-based writer covering federally regulated event-contract platforms. We are not affiliated with any prediction market platform. We make money through affiliate relationships with the platforms we review — more on that in our disclosure page — but no platform pays for coverage, favorable reviews, or editorial influence.
How we review
Our platform reviews follow a consistent methodology documented in our editorial standards page. In short: we open accounts, fund them with real money, place real trades, and test withdrawals. We update reviews when platforms materially change their products, fees, or regulatory standing.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections, tips, or platform feedback: email catie@californiapredictionmarkets.com. Catie reads every message.
Sobre el sitio
¿Quién escribe California Prediction Markets?
- Catie Di Stefano, una escritora independiente con base en California que cubre las plataformas de contratos de eventos reguladas a nivel federal. Catie es la autora y editora principal de cada pieza del sitio.
¿Es el sitio independiente?
- Sí. No somos propiedad, ni estamos financiados ni afiliados a ninguna plataforma de mercados de predicción. No aceptamos pagos por cobertura, reseñas favorables ni influencia editorial.
¿Cómo ganan dinero?
- A través de relaciones de afiliados con las plataformas que reseñamos. Cuando un lector se registra usando uno de nuestros enlaces, podemos recibir una comisión. La condición de afiliado nunca determina si cubrimos una plataforma ni cómo lo hacemos.
¿Cómo reseñan las plataformas?
- Abrimos cuentas, las fondeamos con dinero real, hacemos operaciones reales y probamos los retiros antes de publicar. Las reseñas se actualizan cuando las plataformas cambian materialmente productos, comisiones o estatus regulatorio. La metodología completa está en nuestra página de estándares editoriales.