Matchbook Eyes Prediction Market Platform Launch in the UK

Matchbook, a prediction market platform, is planning to introduce its product and services in the United Kingdom early next year, with the news confirmed by interim CEO Ronan McDonagh.

The launch could happen as early as January 2026 and serve as a test of the company’s operational capacity before it ventures into the United States, where the company has secured a license from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Matchbook Leverages Gambling License to Break Ground in UK with Prediction Markets

Matchbook will use its UK Gambling Commission license to deliver the new platform, which will adopt the signature style of such markets, with a binary yes-no selection for the outcomes listed on the platform and percentages displaying probability.

The UK offer will focus on sports selections, and it is expected that Matchbook to launch sports event contracts in the United States as well, even though the sector is coming under a lot of scrutiny on the local state level.

Experts are predicting that the ongoing challenges launched by gambling regulators in the USA against prediction market platforms such as Kalshi will continue until the Supreme Court of the United States steps in, and perhaps even after that.

While Matchbook is a smaller fry in the UK market, compared to rivals such as Betfair, Smarkets, and Betdaq, the company’s decision to focus on prediction markets could give it an outsized advantage as well as test the waters and see how sports bettors and regulators respond.

However, there is one key difference between how Kalshi runs business in the United States and how Matchbook is planning to do things in the United Kingdom. The company will be operating under a gambling license, meaning that it is unlikely to face pushback because of the model it has chosen.

Prediction Markets Going Mainstream among Traditional Gambling Companies

Matchbook is also a betting exchange where players bet against each other and influence the probability of an outcome (at least in terms of what the public perceives).

This is very much how the yes-no prediction market platform will work as well, argues McDonagh in a recent interview for Bloomberg, outlining the details of the upcoming launch.

He added, “It should be more understandable, so I think we’re hopeful that it captures a new audience or it intrigues people to have a look.”

At the same time, McDonagh is open to partnering up with various companies in the United States in order to boost Matchbook’s chances of success and brand recognition at a time when even mainstream sports betting companies, such a Fanatics, DraftKings, and FanDuel, are entering the space.

Despite this, McDonagh is confident about the future of his company in the US market. “We’ve got strong market-making partners, liquidity and a great product. We’ll be able to complete on day one in the US,” he wrapped up.