Kalshi, Polymarket target New York with free groceries… rivalry heats up ahead of the Super Bowl

U.S. prediction-market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are handing out free groceries to New Yorkers as they compete to attract users.

According to Bloomberg on the 4th, Kalshi on the 3rd (local time) held an event at WestSide Market in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, giving customers free groceries worth $50. Kalshi has recently been working to expand its user base through in-person events and promotions.

On the same day, Kalshi rival Polymarket said it plans to open what it called “New York’s first free grocery store” on the 12th. Plans shared on social media show Polymarket has finalized a lease for a location in New York, and the store is expected to focus on staple grocery items.

The marketing push by the two companies is accelerating competition to capture prediction-market users ahead of the Super Bowl. Analysts also say the strategy targets the reality facing New Yorkers, whose cost-of-living burden has risen amid a surge in grocery prices. Another backdrop cited is that newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made price stability and reducing living costs key campaign pledges.

Prediction markets have grown rapidly over the past year, driven by sports and political events, but concerns are also mounting over regulatory gaps. New York State Attorney General Letitia James recently issued a consumer alert, warning that prediction markets do not have the same consumer protections as existing regulated gambling platforms.

On the day of Kalshi’s event, a line stretching more than a block formed outside the WestSide Market store from 30 minutes before it began. Some attendees said it was their first time encountering the platform and that the free groceries prompted them to take part.

Polymarket also said it donated $1 million to local food banks alongside the opening of the free grocery store. The company stressed it was a “tangible community investment open to all New Yorkers.” Polymarket, however, currently has limited access for ordinary users within the United States.

Market observers note that prediction-market platforms are expanding their reach through aggressive offline marketing, but their growth strategies could be constrained if regulatory discussions intensify. The competition centered on free groceries is seen as highlighting both the industry’s expansion and the regulatory debate at the same time.