Prediction Markets Go Full Bodega Mode in NYC

Kalshi and Polymarket turned a branding rivalry into a grocery giveaway arms race, using free food and pop-ups to bring prediction markets into New York’s political and cultural spotlight.

The rivalry between Kalshi and Polymarket officially jumped the shark this weekend… straight into the produce aisle.

Kalshi struck first, handing out $50 worth of free groceries at a Manhattan market on Tuesday. The result: lines down the block, confused shoppers, and at least a few people discovering what a prediction market is while holding a bag of free pasta. Not bad for brand awareness.

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Polymarket, clearly unwilling to lose a publicity war over frozen foods, responded by announcing something bigger and louder: a five-day pop-up it’s calling “New York’s first free grocery store.” No purchase required, no odds to bet — just vibes, shelves, and a side of civic theater. The company also tossed in a $1 million donation to the Food Bank for NYC, in case anyone thought this was only marketing.

The timing is no accident. With grocery prices still painful and Mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigning on affordability, prediction markets have apparently decided the best way to win New Yorkers over is the oldest trade in the city: free food.

Markets, but make it bodegas.