Polymarket US

What is the "Matched Betting Value" listed above? This is the amount of profit that you can make from the sign-up offer through a technique called matched betting. In short, it is a mathematical approach to sports betting that enables profit by hedging your bets. This allows you to cover all possible outcomes and secure a profit no matter what happens in the game. This is different from gambling because there is no risk of losing. Learn more in our What Is Matched Betting guide.

Polymarket US is the version of Polymarket for traders located in the United States. It lists its contracts on QCX LLC, a CFTC-regulated exchange, with its own order book, fees, and settlement rules. It is a separate account from Polymarket.com, so prices and available size on the two often differ.

You trade contracts on sports and other real-world events. Each contract pays $1 if it settles Yes and $0 if it settles No. The price you pay in between, from 1¢ to 99¢, is the market's implied probability.

Is Polymarket Legal in the US?

Yes. Polymarket US is regulated by the CFTC as a federal derivatives exchange, not licensed by state gaming commissions. As of September 2026, it accepts traders in every state and Washington, DC except Nevada, where a state court blocked it in early 2026. Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and other states are challenging prediction markets in court, so this list can change.

You must complete identity verification (KYC) before you can deposit or trade. Most accounts verify instantly. A manual review can take 3 to 5 business days.

Polymarket US vs Polymarket.com

What Changes Between the Two

• Who can use it: Polymarket US is for traders located in the US. Polymarket.com blocks new trades from the US, the UK, France, Ontario, and dozens of other places.
• Regulation: Polymarket US is a CFTC-regulated exchange. Polymarket.com is not regulated in the US.
• Money: Polymarket US takes dollars by debit card, bank transfer (ACH), or wire. Polymarket.com holds balances in pUSD, a USDC-backed token, funded with crypto or a card on-ramp.
• Fees: 100 sports contracts at 50¢ cost $1.74 in taker fees on Polymarket US and $1.25 on Polymarket.com.
• Settlement rules: Polymarket US settles most player no-shows and postponements at the last fair market price. Polymarket.com settles an inactive player's props to No or Under and keeps postponed games open until they are played.
• Prices and liquidity: the order books are separate. The same game can trade at different prices, with different depth, on each.

Polymarket US Sign-Up Bonus

From October 1, 2026, new Polymarket US customers who deposit at least $10 receive $25 in promotional trading credit. Deposits made before that date received $50. The Polymarket US incentive programs page lists the current terms.

The credit can open positions and pay fees, but it cannot be withdrawn as cash. Your own deposit is used before the credit. Anything in your balance above the credit amount can be withdrawn.

The Refer-A-Friend program gives $25 in credit to you and to a friend who signs up with your username as the code and deposits at least $10. Each account can refer up to 50 friends.

Availability of sportsbooks and promotions varies by state and may change. Verify current offerings before signing up.

Polymarket US Fees

Polymarket US charges the taker, the side whose order fills against a resting order. The fee is largest at 50¢ and shrinks toward 1¢ and 99¢:

Fee = 0.0695 × contracts × price × (1 - price)

Example: you buy 100 contracts at 60¢. The fee is 0.0695 × 100 × 0.60 × 0.40 = $1.67, so the trade costs $61.67 and pays $100 if it wins. That is a profit of $38.33, about -161 in American odds, against -150 before the fee.

Makers, whose limit orders rest on the book until someone fills them, pay no fee. They receive a rebate of 0.0125 × contracts × price × (1 - price), up to $0.31 per 100 contracts. Combos use a higher taker curve: $1.86 per 100 contracts at 50¢. Fees round to the nearest cent and are never charged on canceled or expired orders.

This schedule took effect September 25, 2026. The Polymarket US fee schedule has the full price table. To see what the same trade costs on Kalshi, Polymarket US, and Polymarket.com, use the Prediction Market Comparison tool.

Deposits and Withdrawals

You can deposit by debit card, bank transfer (ACH through Aeropay), or wire. Polymarket US does not charge to withdraw.

Withdrawal Rules

• Clearing time: card and ACH deposits take 3 to 4 business days to clear, and wires take 1. You can trade with uncleared funds but cannot withdraw them.
• Same method: withdrawals go back to the method you deposited with. You cannot send them to a new or third-party account.
• Order: withdrawals follow your deposits first in, first out. Deposit $100 by card and then $200 by ACH, and your first $100 out goes to the card.

The Polymarket US withdrawal rules cover the details.

How Polymarket US Settles Sports Markets

When an event can't settle on a result, Polymarket US settles it at the last fair market price (LFMP). LFMP is the fair price at the moment of the official announcement, set by Polymarket US. It is not the last traded price.

• Player doesn't play: player props settle at LFMP. An MLB hitter must be in the starting lineup and get a plate appearance, a starting pitcher must start, and a soccer player must start the match.
• Postponed games: game lines stay open for 2 weeks (NHL 2 calendar days), then settle at LFMP. NFL and MLB props wait 2 days, soccer props 2 weeks, and WNBA props settle at LFMP right away.
• Ties: a moneyline without a draw option settles at 50¢. Spreads and totals use half-point lines, so they cannot push.
• Canceled games and no contests: LFMP. UFC draws settle at 50¢.

Our Kalshi and Polymarket market rules guide compares these rules with Kalshi, Polymarket.com, and sportsbooks. The Polymarket US Sports FAQs hold the full text.

Combos

Combos take 2 to 10 legs. Any losing leg makes the combo pay $0. If a leg's player doesn't play, that leg settles at its fair price and the payout is multiplied by it. A $10 combo that would pay $80 pays $48 if one leg settles at 60¢.

Tax Implications

Polymarket US is a CFTC-regulated exchange, so its event contracts may be taxed differently from sportsbook winnings, which count as gambling income. Gains on one and losses on the other may not offset cleanly. This matters if you hedge a sportsbook bet on Polymarket US.

This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Consult a qualified tax professional before filing your return.

• Verify first: you must pass identity verification before you can deposit.
• Closed-loop withdrawals: money goes back to the card or bank you deposited from, first in, first out.
• Bonus credit stays on the site: promotional credit can be traded but not withdrawn.
• Weekly maintenance: every Thursday from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM ET the exchange closes and cancels all open orders. Re-enter limit orders afterward.
• Whole contracts only: you cannot buy fractional contracts.

Polymarket US refunds part of your taker fees if you traded more than $250,000 in taker volume the prior calendar month. Rebates are paid weekly.

Taker Fee Rebate Tiers

• $250,000 to $999,999: 10%
• $1,000,000 to $9,999,999: 25%
• $10,000,000 and up: 50%

Taker volume is the amount you put at risk, not the face value of the contracts. Buying 1,000 contracts at 10¢ counts as $100. If you already trade high volume on another prediction market, Polymarket US can place you in a tier based on proof of your last 30 days of volume.

Each sportsbook has its own House Rules which determine how a bet is graded. These rules cover unlikely events, such as what happens to your bet when a game is canceled.

Usually, the different house rules across sportsbooks do not have an impact on matched betting. However, in Major League Baseball (MLB), there are notable exceptions. A simple example is when a game is postponed due to weather. Read our House Rules Comparison guide to learn more.

For MLB it is also important to understand what defines Action.