Prediction market rivals Kalshi and Polymarket are waging a grocery war in New York City — mocking Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push for city-run supermarkets.
Kalshi, the U.S.-based betting platform, held an event Tuesday where shoppers could redeem $50 in free groceries at Westside Market in Manhattan’s East Village, according to Business Insider. Polymarket quickly countered, announcing plans to open its own free grocery store alongside a $1 million donation to Food Bank For NYC. (RELATED: Gambling Is Turning America Into A Degenerate 24/7 Sportsbook)
The dueling stunts come as both companies face heightened criticism from lawmakers worried about insider trading on their platforms. One Polymarket user recently cashed out over $430,000 after correctly predicting that Venezuela’s president would leave office before Jan. 31 — a suspiciously well-timed bet that raised eyebrows, according to Fortune.
After months of planning, we’re excited to announce ‘The Polymarket’ is coming to New York City.
New York’s first free grocery store.
We signed the lease. And we donated $1 million to Food Bank For NYC — an organization that changes how our city responds to hunger. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/BGMCWUMz8n
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) February 3, 2026
Unlike Kalshi, Polymarket has publicly stated it does not ban insider trading. CEO Shayne Coplan has even defended the practice, arguing at an Axios event in November that it benefits the public: “What’s cool about Polymarket is that it creates this financial incentive for people to go and divulge the information to the market.”
Democratic New York Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced in January the “Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026,” barring elected officials, government appointees and bureaucrats from trading on these platforms.
