The uses and abuses of prediction markets
Insider bets, low liquidity and regulatory gaps complicate efforts to turn wagers into financial tools
Insider bets, low liquidity and regulatory gaps complicate efforts to turn wagers into financial tools

Prediction markets are the latest example of a disruptive new industry smacking into problems incumbents have long understood

Value of bets soars from $100mn to $13bn a month

Financial gamification has upended traditional patterns of trust and oversight

Big financial companies expand beyond traditional securities to arbitrage event contracts in sport and politics

They can send wrong signals when trading is illiquid or when herd behaviour takes hold

Fights over regulation could reshape the US federal system of government