Platform comparison
| Platform | YES odds | NO odds | Fee | KYC | Settlement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Polymarket (via Prediction Today) Pick polygram.ink (preferred broker) |
18% | 82% | 0% (USDC on-chain) | No-KYC up to $1,500 | USDC, auto via UMA oracle | Live odds → |
Polymarket (direct) polymarket.com |
18% | 82% | 0% | Geo-blocked in US/UK/EU | USDC, on-chain | Live odds → |
Kalshi kalshi.com |
— | — | Up to 7% per trade | US-only, KYC required | USD | Live odds → |
Betfair Exchange betfair.com |
— | — | 2-5% commission | Full KYC from first trade | GBP / EUR | Live odds → |
Manifold Markets manifold.markets |
— | — | Play-money (mana) | None — play-money | Mana (no cash-out) | Live odds → |
Outcome probabilities
Current market-implied probability for each outcome, from the live order book.
| Outcome | Probability |
|---|---|
| US | 18% |
| France | 9% |
| UK | 8% |
| Germany | 8% |
| Netherlands | 5% |
| Italy | 5% |
| Greece | 3% |
| Australia | 1% |
Market context
The immediate change is that, over the past couple of days, Iran has again warned US warships over route changes in the Strait of Hormuz, underlining that any naval transit there remains politically sensitive and operationally visible. Reuters reported on 25 June that UN-led escort activity through Hormuz was halted after a vessel came under threat, which shows how quickly maritime security arrangements can be tightened or paused when the waterway is under pressure.[17][11]
That keeps the current 8% crowd price anchored to the fact that *named-country* warship transits are still uncommon and usually require either a deliberate diplomatic decision or a crisis response. Earlier this year, US ships transited the strait, while the UK said in May it was deploying drones, fighter aircraft and a Royal Navy warship as part of an international defensive mission; separately, Trump publicly urged countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain to send ships, but reporting at the time said there were no immediate commitments from those states.[15][1][2][3]
For traders, the main catalysts are formal defence announcements, coalition escort schedules, and any public confirmation of naval departures from participating governments or their militaries. Watch for a repeat of the sort of joint-security messaging seen in spring, because that is the clearest path to a qualifying transit; absent that, coverage is more likely to focus on warnings, patrol posture, and commercial shipping disruption rather than a fresh warship passage by a new country.[1][12][14]
Methodology
Methodologically we separate two layers: the live probability (Polymarket mid-price) and the platform attributes (fee, KYC, settlement currency, payment rails). That keeps the comparison honest — a single canonical probability across the row, with the venue-by-venue trade-offs spelt out in the columns next to it.
Resolution & payout
At resolution the UMA oracle takes over: a proposer posts the outcome with a bond, any token holder can dispute within two hours. Without dispute the result is accepted and the smart contract distributes USDC instantly.
On Kalshi (CFTC-regulated) resolution runs through their in-house clearing engine in USD. Betfair Exchange settles after match end in the account's local currency. Manifold pays no cash — only its in-platform "mana" currency.
UK Frequently Asked Questions
- Where can I trade this market with the lowest fees?
- Polymarket is geo-blocked in the US/UK/EU. The easiest 0%-fee broker into the same order book is Prediction Today. Kalshi charges up to 7% per trade; Betfair Exchange takes 2-5% commission on net winnings.
- Is this market available outside the US?
- Polymarket itself is geo-blocked in the US/UK/EU. Always check the legal status of prediction markets in your jurisdiction before trading.
- Is Polymarket legal in the UK?
- Polymarket is accessible to UK traders but is not UKGC-licensed. It operates under US CFTC jurisdiction. UK residents face no domestic legal prohibition on using it, but UKGC consumer protections do not apply. For UKGC-regulated alternatives, Betfair Exchange and Smarkets offer similar prediction-style markets.
- Do I pay tax on prediction market profits in the UK?
- UKGC-licensed platform profits (Betfair, Smarkets) are typically tax-free gambling winnings for UK individuals. Polymarket profits involve USDC crypto transactions, which HMRC treats as Capital Gains Tax events. Keep full transaction records and report via Self Assessment if gains exceed £3,000 per tax year.
- How do I deposit on Polymarket from the UK?
- UK traders typically fund Polymarket via Coinbase UK, Kraken or Revolut — buying USDC with GBP and transferring to a Polygon-compatible wallet (MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet). Polymarket's onboarding walks you through the bridging process. Typical GBP-to-USDC conversion costs 0.5–1%.
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