After three years absent from the US market, Polymarket is finally back and rolling out to prediction market traders. When you sign up for the waitlist and eventually receive the text to sign up, you will earn a $10 bonus when you create your account, with no deposit required. Our expert guide will cover how the promo works and what you should know as a new Polymarket trader.
Polymarket Promo Code August 2026
Polymarket Promo Code Details
Cole RushGaming Specialist
How to Register and Claim Your Polymarket Bonus
Signing up for Polymarket is easy, but there’s a wait involved. Our time on the waitlist was just over 24 hours, the longest of any prediction site, but your mileage may vary. Here’s how we signed up and claimed the $10 bonus credits.
1Join the waitlist
1
Sign up for the Polymarket waitlist via the website or app. Provide a phone number to receive an alert when your spot is ready.
2Wait for the text
2
Polymarket will text you with a sign-up link once your spot is available.
3Create your account
3
Fill in your details: name, birthdate, email address, etc. These will help verify your identity.
4Claim your $10 trade credit
4
Once your account is created, you’ll automatically see the $10 bonus in your account.
After these steps, you can place your first $10 trade immediately. Note that the bonus can’t be split into multiple trades; you need to place it all in one go. No deposit is required for the credit, but you can add funds to continue trading after you use it.
Cole Rush
Sweepstakes Casino Expert
12+ articles written for Casino.us
Placing a trade at Polymarket is similar to placing a bet at an online casino or trading on the stock market. You purchase shares of a particular market and can make a profit by selling before the event or letting it run and hoping your prediction is correct.
Polymarket Promos in August 2026
While the global Polymarket platform offers various promotions and rewards for players who drive volume, the US app is still very bare-bones. Outside of the $10 free trade welcome bonus, we didn’t encounter any other promotions at Polymarket. However, some prediction apps, like Underdog, don’t offer a specific welcome bonus for prediction markets at all.
Of course, it's still very early for Polymarket’s return to the US. With the platform still offered on a waitlist basis, with sports markets only, there’s plenty of time for the promotions to start rolling out. While there aren’t any right now, we are confident we’ll see some in the near future.
How Do the Polymarket Prediction Markets Work?
Polymarket prediction markets involve buying event contracts for a specific outcome. As Polymarket is currently sports-focused in the US, the outcomes typically offered are on either team to win a given game. Those outcomes are tied to prices between $0 and $1, each representing the perceived percentage that side has to win.
For example, if you see a market for the Patriots to beat the Bills, with the Patriots at $0.47 and the Bills at $0.53, that represents a 47% chance the Patriots will win and a 53% chance the Bills will win. Polymarket lets you tailor how these are presented; you can choose prices, percentages, or American odds.
You can buy as many contracts as you like. Each contract you have will pay exactly $1 if correct. You also have the opportunity to sell existing contracts, provided a buyer is willing to purchase them. The price can move as news and developments unfold, and you may be able to make a profit even before the event. Polymarket seems to have solid liquidity right now, meaning most markets will allow you to sell thanks to numerous buyers.
What Markets Can You Trade on Polymarket?
Polymarket’s US app is currently limited to sports event contracts. The app lists “Politics” as a category, but we saw a “Coming Soon” message when trying to access it. So, for now, you can trade outcomes like “Team X to win over Team Y.” Here are a few examples.
- NFL and CFB: Trade on the winner of a particular game.
- NBA and CBB: Trade on the outcomes of basketball games by selecting a winner.
- NHL: Hockey event contracts are available for the NHL. You can buy or sell contracts on the winner of a game.
Right now, Polymarket’s offering is fairly sparse. Going forward, we’d like to see additional markets, such as “Team X to win the NFC championship” or similar.
Cole Rush
Sweepstakes Casino Expert
12+ articles written for Casino.us
Polymarket’s welcome bonus is one of the best if you’re new to prediction markets. The $10 free trade requires no deposit and can teach you how the platform works without requiring you to stake money up front.
Polymarket App Review
Our experience with the Polymarket app is good, overall, as it is streamlined and easy to navigate. The main menu at the bottom of the screen has three simple icons: Home, current balance, and a magnifying glass. These bring up available markets, active contracts, and search, respectively. It’s intuitive and clear-cut, which we appreciated during our time with the app.
Our only complaint is that the app feels a bit bare-bones right now. Compared to the polished and packed app offered by Robinhood, Polymarket falls short of the mark. Some bugs occurred, such as error messages when attempting to deposit with Apple Pay. Swiping up to purchase a contract can be difficult on an iPhone, as the same action can close the app.
What We Like
- The $10 free trade welcome bonus is easy to claim and is better than Underdog
- The user interface is well-constructed, with clear-cut categories and color-coded outcomes
- Deposits are easy and speedy, with four mobile-friendly options available
- Fees on contracts are limited and usually low
What We Don’t Like
- You need to wait on the waitlist before creating an account
- Markets are extremely limited, with only a few leagues available
- Bugs and poor design choices can slightly impede the user experience
Is Polymarket and Prediction Markets Legal?
Polymarket operates under the oversight of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. That may sound confusing to you if you’re new to prediction markets, but what you need to know is that Polymarket functions more like a financial exchange. This is because you are trading on potential outcomes, so they work like investments that can change in price over time and be sold if there’s a buyer.
While exchanges and such trading are legal at the federal level, prediction markets have come under legal scrutiny in various states. This is due mainly to their offering of sports-related outcomes, which some legislators and regulators say constitute illegal or unlicensed gambling operations.
Currently, the states where Polymarket is not expressly promoted are AZ, AR, CT, IL, LA, MD, MA, MI, NV, NJ, OH, and TN.
Polymarket Alternatives
Polymarket is back in the US, but the waitlist and currently limited market offering may make you want to search elsewhere. If that’s the case, there are many other options for prediction markets, including our top picks right here:
Polymarket Banking and Payment Methods
Polymarket’s payment options are simple and straightforward. Apple Pay is a bit unique in that you must have a debit card attached or cash in your Apple Cash balance. You can’t use a credit card to deposit. It would be nice to have an additional option like Venmo or PayPal.
I do wish Polymarket were clearer about its minimum withdrawals, as there isn’t any readily available information.
Cole Rush
Sweepstakes Casino Expert
12+ articles written for Casino.us
The daily limits for Apple Pay, banking, and debit card deposits are $50,000. This is considerably higher than Novig, with maximum limits ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on your state.
Polymarket Promo Code Terms and Conditions
Polymarket's welcome bonus is a breath of fresh air. Here are the things you must do to claim it, most of which are fairly standard.
- Join the waitlist and create your account once the option is available.
- Confirm your age and identity on sign-up.
- Play with your free trade bonus at least one time before it can be withdrawn.
- Wait for any security holds before withdrawal becomes available.
It’s really that straightforward at Polymarket. Compared to ProphetX’s 20% purchase bonus up to $100, this is significantly easier to claim and requires no upfront investment.
Polymarket Customer Support
Like the rest of the experience, Polymarket’s US customer support is currently limited. The only option we saw was a “Contact Support” button on the account page, and it took us directly to Gmail, where we could type an email to support. There is no live chat or phone support for US predictors at this time.
In other markets around the globe, Polymarket offers more robust support. I’m inclined to believe that will transition into the US as the site gains more traction. For now, Polymarket lags behind Underdog by offering only email support.
Polymarket Promo Review Summary
Polymarket's welcome bonus is a big point in the site’s favor. A $10 free trade on sign-up, with no deposit required or other hoops to jump through, is excellent. It’s a great onboarding tool, too, as it can teach new players how event contracts work without requiring an initial deposit.
Polymarket starts strong and largely stays strong with its sports markets and easy-to-use app. However, compared to the strong competition in the US prediction markets space, it has some ground to make up. The app has limited customer support (email only), isn’t yet available on desktop, and offers no ongoing promotions for existing players.
On the bright side, Polymarket plans to launch many more markets in the near future. The existing sports outcomes are simple and super friendly for new players.
FAQs
What is the Polymarket promo code?
There’s no Polymarket promo code to claim their $10 free bonus credits to begin trading. Once you create an account and complete all verification, the bonus will be available to use.
How do you get the bonus at Polymarket?
To claim the bonus, you need to join the Polymarket waitlist, then wait for the text saying your spot is ready. Once you get that text, create your account. The $10 free trade will automatically be applied to your account.
What type of markets can I trade on at Polymarket?
Right now, Polymarket only has event contracts for the NFL, college football, the NHL, college basketball, and the NBA. Polymarket seems poised to add new markets to its repertoire very soon.
Is Polymarket legit?
Yes. After a three-year absence from the US, Polymarket is slowly rolling back out to US states. It is allowed to operate thanks to its acquisition of CFTC-approved exchange QCX.
How do I place a Polymarket prediction bet?
Prediction event contracts (they aren’t called bets) can be bought and sold within the Polymarket app once you’ve signed up. Tap the contract you wish to purchase (usually a yes/no option) and accept the price by swiping up. That’s all it takes.
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