Meta is building a prediction markets app to rival Polymarket, Kalshi: report

Meta is building a prediction markets app to rival Polymarket and Kalshi, according to a report. Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly tasked a small internal team with developing an experimental standalone smartphone app called “Arena,” reported by The New York Times and described as operating separately from Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. The app would let users make predictions across categories such as sports, politics and major news events, initially using a points-based system in a video-game style. However, Meta has not ruled out adding real-money wagering later. The report says Meta aims to leverage its scale, with more than 3.5 billion people using at least one Meta app daily. Prediction markets have surged, with operators handling more than $50 billion in trades last year and over $130 billion in 2026 to date, amid rising regulatory scrutiny. Meta previously launched Forecast in 2020 and shut it down in 2022.