Forbes To Launch Play-Money Prediction Market

Forbes is taking a slightly dfferent approach to prediction markets than the money-driven platforms dominating headlines. The media company announced Friday it will launch ForbesPredict, a play-money prediction platform built in collaboration with tech startup Axiom, with a beta launch scheduled for February.

Unlike Kalshi or Polymarket, which allow users to win—and risk—real money on event outcomes, Forbes’ platform will operate entirely on “tokens.” Users will build their profiles by logging predictions related to real-world events covered in Forbes’ news content, tracking their accuracy over time without financial risk.

The move comes as Forbes confronts the same challenge facing publishers across the industry: eroding search referral traffic driven by AI-powered information access. Nina Gould, Forbes’ chief innovation officer, told Digiday that the platform is designed to shift focus from traffic metrics to onsite engagement and reader loyalty.

“AI is fundamentally changing how people access information, and that shift is already starkly visible in publisher’s traffic. Our response isn’t to chase scale, but to deepen engagement. ForbesPredict gives our audience a reason to return, participate and invest their thinking – not just consume headlines.”

The Predict tool will appear as a widget next to stories, functioning as an alternative to commenting, according to Gould. The platform will supplement news coverage with dynamic, real-time probabilities of real-world events, spanning politics, economics, financials, and more.

‘ForbesPredict’ opts for play-money model

Forbes’ decision to avoid real-money trading sidesteps the regulatory minefield currently facing prediction market operators. It also avoids partnering with an existing CFTC-regulated platform, as other newsrooms, such as CNN have done.

Just last week, Kalshi suffered an adverse court-ruling in Massachusetts court that could eventually force the platform to close its sports event contracts. Other state regulators have entered legal battles with prediction platforms, accusing them of essentially operating as unlicensed sportsbooks, leaving ongoing litigation across the country.

Upcoming oral arguments:

Feb 2 – Kalshi v. Tennessee
Feb 11 – Kalshi v. Connecticut
Feb 11 – Coinbase v. CT
Feb 24 – Coinbase v. Illinois

Awaiting decisions on:

Kalshi v. NY
Kalshi v. Ohio
Kalshi v. NJ (CA3)
+
CA9 stay motions
(KEX, RH & Crypto)

— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) January 26, 2026

Forbes says its readers “aren’t there to speculate” but rather “to be informed.” The company may eventually expand its play-money token system beyond predictions, potentially rewarding users for providing more profile information to gather valuable audience data, Gould noted.

Sherry Phillips, CEO of Forbes, framed the launch as part of the company’s innovation DNA. She said the platform will help keep the newsroom informed of what audiences are thinking on covered topics, potentially shaping future storytelling.

While platforms like Fanatics and FanDuel race to capture real-money prediction market share, Forbes is betting that engagement without financial stakes can set a new standard for how media companies connect with audiences. The official launch is expected in the second half of 2026 following the February beta period.