Polymarket’s Grand Return: A Tale of Regulation, Waitlists, and Sports 🎩📱

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Pray, allow me to announce with no small degree of irony, that Polymarket has at long last reentered the fair shores of the United States, commencing on a Wednesday most ordinary. Its new mobile app, a marvel of modern contrivance, has been bestowed upon those fortunate souls lingering on the waitlist, marking its first domestic appearance since the year of our Lord 2021.

Polymarket, with a flourish most dramatic, proclaimed this Wednesday past that its American app is now alive and well, in a rollout as phased as a poorly choreographed country dance. Thus, it restores to the good people of this nation access to one of the world’s most esteemed prediction platforms, after an absence as protracted as a sermon on a rainy Sunday. In a missive on X, the company declared with no small measure of self-congratulation, “Against all odds. Polymarket’s U.S. app is now being rolled out to those on the waitlist. We’re launching with sports – followed by markets on everything.” 🏈💼

The predictions marketplace, ever eager to trumpet its own return, added with a flourish:

“Polymarket is back. The world’s largest prediction market is back in the U.S. Download Polymarket today to check your spot on the waitlist. Invites being sent out on a rolling basis. Android coming soon.” 📲✨

This triumphant return follows a regulatory ordeal as labyrinthine as a novel by one of my lesser contemporaries. It began when the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a body as formidable as any disapproving aunt, took umbrage with the firm in 2021. The agency alleged, with all the severity of a governess discovering a secret ball, that Polymarket had offered unregistered event-based binary options contracts, operating as an unregistered designated contract market and facilitating off-exchange commodity options trades. A most grievous error, indeed.

The enforcement culminated in a settlement of January 2022, wherein Polymarket was compelled to remit a civil penalty of $1.4 million and bar U.S. users, forcing the platform to seek refuge in foreign climes. The company has since undergone a restructuring as thorough as a lady’s toilette, to comply with federal derivatives rules. On the 25th of November, 2025, the CFTC deigned to approve an amended order of designation for an affiliated Polymarket entity, permitting it to operate legally as a regulated exchange with intermediated access for American traders. A victory, though not without its caveats.

This approval, while a significant step in Polymarket’s quest to reestablish itself under a supervised framework, is but the first in a series of hurdles. Further permissions are required before it may offer direct user trading for all event-based contracts in the U.S. The platform began its gradual reentry in mid-November, its U.S. website reopening in beta, initially confined to those on the waitlist. A phased approach, as cautious as a debutante’s first waltz.

The company has emphasized a measured strategy, distributing access invites in stages while navigating the remaining regulatory labyrinth. Sports markets, it seems, shall be the first to grace the app, with additional event markets to follow once the requisite clearances are obtained. A prudent plan, though one wonders if the gentlemen of the CFTC might not prefer a more spirited pace. 🏇📜

This relaunch situates Polymarket once more in a competitive prediction market environment, as bustling as a London ballroom. Firms like Kalshi have enjoyed considerable demand, providing Polymarket with no shortage of rivalry. Its U.S. comeback places it among a select few platforms operating under the watchful eye of the CFTC, a distinction as coveted as a proposal from a wealthy suitor.

Android support, we are assured, shall follow the initial iOS rollout via the Apple App Store, with U.S. users able to ascertain their waitlist position forthwith. This return marks Polymarket’s first domestic offering in nearly four years, signaling a renewed endeavor to establish regulated prediction markets in the American trading ecosystem. A bold venture, indeed, though one must wonder if it will prove as enduring as a well-written novel. 📈📱

FAQ ❓

  • What did Polymarket launch in the U.S.?

    Polymarket launched its new mobile app, commencing a phased rollout to American users on the waitlist. A most anticipated event, though one suspects the waitlist may yet prove a trial of patience. 📱✨

  • Why was Polymarket previously unavailable in the U.S.?

    The firm restricted access following a CFTC settlement involving unregistered event-based contracts. A regrettable oversight, akin to forgetting one’s parasol on a sunny day. 🌦️📜

  • How is Polymarket operating legally now?

    A CFTC-approved amended order allows its affiliated entity to run a regulated exchange with intermediated access. A bureaucratic triumph, though one wonders at the cost of such compliance. ⚖️📑

  • When will broader market categories and Android support arrive?

    The company assures us that sports markets are live first, with other markets and Android access coming soon. A promise as fleeting as a summer breeze, perhaps, but one we shall await with bated breath. 🏆⏳

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2025-12-03 20:59