Esports prediction market platform Forkast launched in 2025, and CEO Chris Gonsalves is focusing on development in 2026 amid a “enormous development spurt” in esports.
The US prediction market area has develop into more and more crowded as Kalshi expands, Polymarket returns, and sportsbooks, equivalent to FanDuel and DraftKings, launch their very own platforms.
Gonsalves believes there is a chance to develop using prediction markets in different areas, particularly Latin America.
In an interview this week, he said, “Lots of people have been targeted on the US market, US sports activities specifically. You can make a case that’s beginning to get saturated. That’s a aggressive space. However it’s not like individuals around the globe don’t like buying and selling shares, watching sports activities, or watching esports. There’s an enormous untapped viewers.”
Esports Viewers Outdoors the US
Gonsalves added that he expects esports occasions to develop into extra common this yr. He commented, “We predict esports goes to have an enormous development spurt this yr. Esports continues to be massively watched. There are report viewership numbers.”
Numerous these viewers are coming from exterior the US. He added, “Final week, Cellular Legends turned the fourth most-watched esports occasion. After which you’ve got League of Legends getting practically 7 million peak concurrent viewers. Most of this isn’t coming from the US. The info is saying that the viewership is there.”
The corporate is especially focusing on esports followers in Latin America, including, “We’ve got boots on the bottom, crew members in Brazil, Argentina, so I feel now we have an actual benefit, and it’s an untapped space that’s going to develop.”
Prediction Markets Face Authorized Scrutiny
Prediction markets within the US are dealing with elevated authorized scrutiny, with a number of states difficult platforms that provide sports activities betting.
Forkast is focusing on customers exterior of the nation, however may additionally face authorized scrutiny in markets equivalent to Brazil.
The nation has proposed tighter restrictions on on-line playing and is clamping down on unlicensed operators.
Prediction markets stay a gray space in a lot of Latin America, however Gonsalves believes esports groups will look to validate the trade.
He mentioned many groups are benefiting from Riot Video games’ choice to permit betting sponsors, and believes the peer-to-peer nature of prediction markets can enchantment to esports followers.
He added, “I feel the esports groups in all probability need to transfer away from the non-peer-to-peer platforms into these extra peer-to-peer platforms which can be extra user-centric.”
