Bang Bang Reloaded

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Before Patrick Mahomes laced up his cleats for his 2026-2027 NFL regular-season debut, US prediction markets had already cleared a historic benchmark for the opening week of the season.

Two operators alone – Kalshi and Polymarket – topped the combined $1 billion mark in NFL trading activity over the first six days of Week 1, according to numerous measures this week. During the period, Kalshi recorded NFL volume of $983.4 million, according to DeFi Rate, earning the pole position by a large margin. Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs thrashed the Denver Broncos 31-10 on Monday Night Football, capping the largest week for prediction markets ever.

Even before the primetime matchup in Kansas City, it became abundantly clear that the industry would shatter previous marks for weekly activity. The AFC West showdown bolstered the already robust totals. Overall, volume for the week hit a record $15.9 billion, according to Bank of America, up 16% from a week earlier.

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Following an extended three-day holiday for Labor Day Weekend, Polymarket went live with a colourful 90-second spot directed by award-winning filmmaker Peter Berg, the director of the acclaimed television series Friday Night Lights. The spot, which featured the likes of Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, Richard Sherman, John Leguizamo and Spike Lee, among other celebrities, coincided with the launch of Squads, a new social experience within the US Polymarket app.  

According to a Polymarket news release, the new initiative will give users a dedicated place to talk markets, share their picks and trade together directly on Polymarket.

“People are constantly debating what’s going to happen next with their friends and sharing predictions in group chats,” said Travis VanderZanden, who serves as chief growth officer at Polymarket. “With Squads, we’re bringing the conversation and trading together so friends can follow the events they care about and make their predictions in one place.”

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The Mid-Atlantic struggles weren’t limited to New Jersey, as Pennsylvania revealed today (Sept. 17) that brick-and-mortar gross gaming revenue (GGR) from slot machines and table games totaled $280.3 million.

Pennsylvania casino revenue for August was almost 6% lower than a year ago, when the state’s casinos won $297.7 million from their physical slots and table games. Pennsylvania’s August 2026 struggles came despite the state having one more casino last month than it did in August 2025, as Happy Valley Casino only opened in April 2026.

In Maryland, the state’s six casinos combined to win $160 million in August, representing a 6% drop from the prior year. In Virginia, casino revenue from its five casinos was $97.6 million, almost 5% lower than August 2025.