Polymarket Files With the CFTC to Launch Parlay Feature

Polymarket is about to give its sports prediction platform a massive boost.

The operator has submitted a filing with the Commodity Futures Trade Commission to self-certify a new parlay-style offering. Polymarket describes it as “combinatoric athletic outcome contracts,” but it works the same as sportsbooks' parlays. The new feature will allow users to combine several contracts into one for a chance at a larger payout.

Polymarket is looking to launch the new offering as soon as today.

Big Move for Polymarket

As well as Polymarket has fared in its return to the US, it still lags behind Kalshi and most major mobile sportsbooks. While a later launch can explain part of that, the platform’s lack of parlays may also be playing a role.

Since sports betting became legal in the US, parlays have remained one of the main revenue drivers for sportsbooks. While the larger payouts can hurt, multiple-leg bets also lose at a far higher rate since all have to win for the wager or contract to pay out.

Kalshi began offering its own parlay-style feature back in September 2025, calling them “combos.” It was the first prediction operator to do so, and it helped close the gap on US mobile sportsbooks. 

According to DeFi Rate, almost half of Polymarket’s trading volume comes from sports.

Launch of Parlays Does Bring Risk

Across the US, prediction operators are facing a mountain of lawsuits from states, regulators, and tribal gaming groups. At the center of those lawsuits is the argument that sports markets are a form of sports betting. 

Lawyers from operators like Polymarket and Kalshi have vehemently denied this in court, while the operators have toned down the use of gambling terms on their platforms.

Polymarket isn’t calling its new feature “parlays,” but it works the same way. That will certainly be something opposing lawyers point out, and will make it harder for the public to buy the industry’s argument.

There are also questions around how the pricing for parlays is set. Since it involves multiple contracts, a bookmaker would need to set odds. If operators are doing this, that would qualify them as bookmakers. While Kalshi has avoided this pitfall, Polymarket’s launch could reignite those questions. 

Now or Never?

It's hard to deny that public sentiment is turning against the prediction industry, making Polymarket’s new offering somewhat surprising on the surface. However, once you dig deeper, the move makes far more sense. 

If the industry overcomes legal challenges and remains regulated by the CFTC, Polymarket will be better able to compete with operators like Kalshi. With more operators continuing to seek entry into the industry, waiting risks being beaten out by a smaller rival and losing market share.

However, if the industry loses and is forced to accept state regulations, Polymarket already has a parlay feature ready to go. That would be crucial for competing in the regulated sports betting industry, helping protect some of the revenue prediction platforms see from sports markets.