Kalshi and Polymarket use gamification and memes to target users as young as 18
AP News reported Thursday, May 28, 2026, that sports wagering platforms and prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket are using gamification features and meme-driven content to attract young users, advertising product availability to users starting at age 18. Multiple syndicated reports carried the same observation without additional regulatory action, platform response, or policy details. No specific marketing campaigns, user acquisition figures, or executive statements were disclosed. The reporting frames the tactic as part of a broader industry trend rather than an isolated platform strategy.
State attorneys general in Tennessee and Rhode Island now have fresh public-research fodder to argue that prediction markets operate like unlicensed sportsbooks marketing to minors. Any court finding that Kalshi's youth targeting evidences gambling intent strengthens state enforcement theories across four active cases.
Joins Minnesota, Tennessee, and Rhode Island as the fourth state-level legal challenge to prediction market operations this week, with state attorneys general and lawmakers testing both federal preemption defenses and local enforcement paths against Kalshi and Polymarket.