Kalshi Downloads Overtake Traditional Sportsbooks Peaks in Weeks Before the Super Bowl 2026

Kalshi app downloads have surpassed those of some of the US’s largest sportsbooks, DraftKings and FanDuel, during their prime growth periods. The report from Appotopia analyses Kalshi’s growth in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl 2026 and shows the operator's exponential growth since the beginning of the season. 

According to Apptopia, in January, Kalshi saw over three million downloads, more than four times the number DraftKings and FanDuel reported during their peak growth periods. In comparison, DraftKings reported over 650,000, while FanDuel reported just under 620,000 in the same period, and said it had around 3.5 million monthly users. 

“Three million downloads in a single month is a feat that no other sportsbook app, real money gaming app, or fantasy sports app has ever hit in the United States,” said Tom Grant, the Vice President of Research at Apptopia.

In comparison, at the start of the NFL season in August, Kalshi recorded fewer than 1/3 as many downloads as the traditional sportsbooks and best sports betting sites: 121,000, compared with FanDuel and DraftKings, which combined for just over 733,000. 

The high download rates show the impact that prediction market apps are having on the sports betting industry, as they can offer sports-event contracts in all states, not just those where sports betting is legalized.

Kalshi began offering sports-event contracts only weeks before last year's Super Bowl, and this year's last week of January saw around 60 times the volume compared to January last year. 

Prediction markets are getting around sports betting bans

While prediction market app downloads have overtaken traditional sportsbooks, operators' presence is particularly prevalent in California, which is set to host the Super Bowl on Sunday. 

California does not currently have legal sports betting because of a 100-year-old statute that bans it. However, prediction market platforms are stepping in to fill the gap. The use of prediction markets in the state highlights unresolved legal questions about what constitutes a bet. 

By Tuesday evening, Kalshi reported that the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots on Sunday had already generated over $161 million. With nearly 70% of traders backing Seattle, the numbers represent a sixfold increase from the volume Kalshi recorded in last year's game.

While traditional sportsbooks lock in bets once placed, Kalshi and Polymarket users are able to enter and exit trades before the settlement. Additionally, while they charge transaction fees, the operators do not act as a counterparty to bets. Instead, traders wager against each other, whereas sportsbooks profit directly from losing bets. 

While payouts for users often mirror those of traditional sportsbooks, with a $100 position on New England at Kalshi paying out $289, while a comparable wager on FanDuel would pay out around $190.