South Park’s Latest Episode Takes a Swipe at Prediction Market Apps

The show “South Park” has, for as long as it’s been around, parodied many of the big cultural and societal trends in the US.

Currently, the show is in season 27, and in episode five, which aired this week, the main focus was on prediction apps.

In the episode, the kids at South Park Elementary are shown making bets on prediction apps.

One of the main characters, Stan, makes a point about how people can make a bet on whatever they want, and that other people are free to take them up on their prediction.

Another one of the characters, Kyle, tries repeatedly to take down an “offensive prediction” but is constantly redirected to a different agency.

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The show mentions two particular prediction apps, Kalshi and Polymarket.

Stats on Google show that soon after the episode aired, the number of searches for both apps went through the roof.

The app Kalshi had a bet going on whether the word “gambling” would be mentioned in the episode.

These apps work by allowing predictions to be made on various events, then letting people make bets on those predictions.

They are exchange-traded markets, and their purpose is to be used for trading the outcome of events.

They have been gaining more relevance lately, with some attributing the resurgence to the start of the NFL season.

While these apps have insisted their offers are not subject to gambling regulation, watchdogs in several states, including New Jersey and Massachusetts, have disagreed.

Predictions and Chances

With the freedom to make predictions on almost anything, some have offered extensive, far-fetched predictions.

Speculation about sports events has always been very popular, and even on prediction market apps, they remain among the most relevant.

 From bets on the 2026 Super Bowl all the way to what sports announcers will say during a game.

Some even make extremely long-term predictions by taking money from the 2028 presidential elections and extremely specific things like the number of posts Elon Musk will make on X during the days September 19- 26.