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Kalshi vs BetMGM

BetMGM blends MGM's Vegas heritage with online sportsbook tech. Often runs promo-boosted pricing that creates the softest side of the books consensus.

Platform profiles at a glance

Founding, scale, regulation, fees, payments — both venues side-by-side. Updated 2025-Q4 from public filings, official sites, and third-party trackers.

Kalshi

The federally regulated US event-contract exchange

prediction market

Kalshi is a CFTC-licensed Designated Contract Market (DCM) where US users buy and sell YES/NO contracts on real-world events, including sports, in all 50 states.

Visit Kalshi
Founded2018 · Tarek Mansour, Luana Lopes Lara
HQNew York, NY
CEOTarek Mansour
Employees~150 (2025)

Regulation

RegulatorCommodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
StatesAll 50 US states

Scale · 2025-Q4

Monthly volume~$200M+ (sports + politics combined, peaks during major events)
Annual volume$1B+ (2024 — driven by ~$430M on the US presidential market alone)
UsersHundreds of thousands of funded accounts (exact figure not publicly disclosed)

Funding

Total raised$50M+ across Series A–C
Last roundSeries C reported 2025
Last round sizeUndisclosed (Series A was $30M)
Valuation~$2B (reported, 2025)
Key investorsSequoia Capital, Henry Kravis (KKR co-founder), Charles Schwab, Y Combinator, SV Angel

Product

Fees0.07% per side, capped at 7¢/contract; 2¢ near 50% probability
Min position$0.01 (1 contract × $0.01–$0.99 YES/NO)
Max positionLimited only by orderbook depth — no per-user account caps
SettlementUSD
Withdrawal1–3 business days via ACH; same-day for wire
MobileiOS (App Store), Android (Google Play)
PaymentsACH (Plaid) · Debit card · Wire transfer (high-volume)

BetMGM

MGM Resorts + Entain joint venture

sportsbook

BetMGM is a joint venture between MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and Entain plc (LSE: ENT), one of the top three US online sportsbooks by handle.

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Founded2018 · Joint venture (MGM Resorts + GVC/Entain)
HQJersey City, NJ
CEOAdam Greenblatt
Employees~1,800 (2025)
Public tickerMGM Resorts: NYSE: MGM · Entain: LSE: ENT
ParentMGM Resorts International + Entain plc (50/50 JV)

Regulation

RegulatorState gaming commissions (varies)
States25+ US states for sports betting (varies by year)

Scale · 2025-Q4

Monthly volumeHandle of ~$1.5–2B/month
Annual volume~$15B+ annual handle (2024)
Users~1.5M+ monthly active US users

Funding

Total raisedJV-funded — MGM + Entain each committed $450M initial capital
Last roundOngoing JV capital injections
Last round sizeN/A
ValuationEntain has previously valued its 50% stake at ~$5B
Key investorsMGM Resorts International (50%), Entain plc (50%)

Product

FeesVig ~4–5% on moneylines; standard parlay margins
Min position$0.50 minimum bet
Max positionVariable per market; competitive limits for non-sharps
SettlementUSD
Withdrawal1–3 business days for ACH; instant for M life Rewards conversion
MobileiOS, Android
PaymentsACH · Debit card · PayPal · Play+ prepaid · M life integration

Feature-by-feature comparison

Side-by-side dimensions that matter when choosing between Kalshi and BetMGM. Volumes are best-effort estimates as of 2025-Q4.
DimensionKalshiBetMGM
Categoryprediction marketsportsbook
Founded20182018
HeadquartersNew York, NYJersey City, NJ
RegulatorCommodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)State gaming commissions (varies)
States availableAll 50 US states25+ US states for sports betting (varies by year)
Monthly volume~$200M+ (sports + politics combined, peaks during major events)Handle of ~$1.5–2B/month
Annual volume$1B+ (2024 — driven by ~$430M on the US presidential market alone)~$15B+ annual handle (2024)
Total raised$50M+ across Series A–CJV-funded — MGM + Entain each committed $450M initial capital
Reported valuation~$2B (reported, 2025)Entain has previously valued its 50% stake at ~$5B
Parent companyIndependentMGM Resorts International + Entain plc (50/50 JV)
Public tickerPrivateMGM Resorts: NYSE: MGM · Entain: LSE: ENT
Fee structure0.07% per side, capped at 7¢/contract; 2¢ near 50% probabilityVig ~4–5% on moneylines; standard parlay margins
Min position$0.01 (1 contract × $0.01–$0.99 YES/NO)$0.50 minimum bet
Max positionLimited only by orderbook depth — no per-user account capsVariable per market; competitive limits for non-sharps
SettlementUSDUSD
Withdrawal1–3 business days via ACH; same-day for wire1–3 business days for ACH; instant for M life Rewards conversion
PaymentsACH (Plaid), Debit card, Wire transfer (high-volume)ACH, Debit card, PayPal (+2 more)
Mobile appsiOS (App Store), Android (Google Play)iOS, Android
Product categoriesSports, Politics, Climate, Economics (+2 more)Sports betting, iGaming/casino, Poker (in some states)

Use Kalshi when…

  • US users in states where sportsbooks aren't licensed (CA, TX, HI)
  • Sharp users who get limited at FanDuel/DraftKings
  • Anyone who wants no-vig pricing on championship/MVP/season-long markets
  • Traders who want to short an outcome (sell YES) without needing to find the opposite-side book

Use BetMGM when…

  • Users who already visit MGM properties + want loyalty earn
  • Casino-first players who occasionally bet sports
  • European soccer focus (Entain pricing depth)

BetMGM strengths

  • Frequent boosted markets (often the cheapest book on any given moneyline)
  • Rewards crossover with MGM Rewards (Vegas perks)
  • Strong NBA / college basketball coverage

BetMGM weaknesses

  • Wide vig outside of promo periods
  • Limits and bonus restrictions kick in early
  • Mobile UX trails DraftKings/FanDuel

Where Kalshi beats BetMGM

  • Consistent no-vig pricing (not promo-dependent)
  • No limit on winning users
  • Better coverage on event-contract futures (e.g. MVP) than BetMGM's traditional book

FAQ: Kalshi vs BetMGM

Is BetMGM ever cheaper than Kalshi?

Yes, on promo-boosted markets BetMGM regularly prices below the Kalshi line. SportsBookISH's 'best book' column tracks this automatically — when BetMGM is the cheapest book and Kalshi is more expensive, that's a sell signal on Kalshi.

Sources and further reading

All figures best-effort as of 2025-Q4. Funding, valuations, and volume are sourced from public filings, official communications, and third-party trackers (Crunchbase, Wikipedia). Re-verify against primary sources before quoting in compliance-sensitive contexts.

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