DATA.BET CEO: Prediction markets moved from niche to a distinct betting vertical

Prediction markets have moved quickly from a niche concept to one of the most discussed developments in betting, according to an iGaming Business feature. A key catalyst was the US election of late 2024, which brought the format to a wider audience. H2 Gambling Capital figures cited in the piece show prediction markets handle for March Madness reaching $16m in 2025, with the 2026 figure projected at an estimated $530m.

Yurii Berest, CEO of sportsbook solution supplier DATA.BET, points to several drivers. Betting has historically centred on sport, he says, while prediction markets extend the behaviour to politics, technology, economics, entertainment and other real-world events that many users follow closely. He adds that the products are easier to understand, and that users can watch a market's implied probability change as new information emerges, which effectively makes the market a form of real-time content.

DATA.BET launched its own prediction markets product in April, applying what it calls a sportsbook logic. The aim was to reduce the structural complexity of exchanges through clear pricing, fiat transactions and an intuitive interface. Players can bet on events ranging from politics and finance to culture and the weather without using cryptocurrency. The offering is available via iFrame and API integration, so operators need no additional integrations, and players use standard decimal odds with their existing account and balance, in fiat or crypto.

Berest describes it as a separate category that sits inside the sportsbook experience. Behind the familiar interface, the company had to build an entirely new subsystem with different pricing logic and risk management, with odds calculated dynamically from incoming stakes and fast-changing data. Since launch, DATA.BET has added further market types and richer live and historical market data.

Berest notes that prediction market products differ mainly in their underlying models, from peer-to-peer exchanges and liquidity-driven pricing to fixed-odds approaches. Exchange-based markets are strong at price discovery, but order books, liquidity depth and partial fills add friction for a typical sportsbook user. DATA.BET combines elements of both, with pricing based on exchange information, available liquidity and volume-weighted average price calculations.

For the wider industry, Berest says the lesson is not to copy the exchange model but to look for new formats, mechanics and categories that are relevant to users and delivered in a simple, familiar way. In his view, prediction markets show that a mature industry can still create new engagement.