Kris Johnson iGaming Journalist
Kris Johnson is a Charlotte-based deputy editor. He joined CasinoBeats in July 2025 and oversees the daily news flow of editing and publishing. Kris also reports on all aspects of the gambling industry with a...
Read Full BioA new survey conducted by Truist Securities found that most bettors prefer DraftKings Sportsbook over Kalshi in states that offer both legal sports betting and prediction markets.
Respondents were asked about the “best product covering both online sports wagering and prediction markets.” The results were as follows:
- DraftKings Sportsbook — 20%
- Kalshi — 17%
- FanDuel Sportsbook — 15%
“The reasons of preference varied, with 39% pointing to the overall experience, 19% success rate, 13% for best interface, and just 11% for rewards,” Truist analyst Barry Jonas said.
When asked only about their preferred prediction market platform, Kalshi came out on top.
- Kalshi — 17%
- DraftKings Predictions — 8%
- Polymarket — 7%
- Robinhood PM — 5%
- FanDuel Predicts — 4%
Sportsbooks Lead in States With Legal Sports Betting
The study also found that sportsbooks “have the upper hand” in legal sports betting states. That’s consistent with comments from Flutter Entertainment CEO Peter Jackson, who said that there’s little “cannibalization” by prediction markets in states where FanDuel is live.
Additionally, Kalshi “commands just 3% of deposits” in states where DraftKings Sportsbook is available. Respondents in states where sports betting isn’t legal said they are “likely to switch to traditional sportsbooks away from prediction markets when those states legalize sports wagering.”
One anomaly found was that 9% of New Yorkers use prediction markets, which seems “high” as New York is the nation’s largest sports betting market.
Prediction Market Users Older & Educated
The Truist survey found that just 5% of prediction-market users are 21 or younger, which is contrary to prevailing beliefs that often skew younger.
“The majority of users were between 22-49 with the largest cohort between 30-39 (36%), followed by 40-49 (31%) and 22-29 (21%),” the survey stated.
Truist also explored education and income trends, finding that “many retail event contract traders have some form of higher education” and 46% make at least $100,000 per year.
“31% of respondents completed their bachelor’s degree, and 26% completed a graduate degree (Master’s, PHD, JD, MBA),” Jonas said. “25% said their highest level of education was some college/associate degree, with 19% saying a high school diploma or less.”
He added, “Our survey showed that annual household income for respondents was 37% between $50,000- $99,999, 30% between $100,000-$149,999, and 16% from $150,000-$249,999. 4% of respondents reported annual income over $250,000.”
