How to place your first bet on Polymarket

Before you start

Polymarket is not available everywhere. Its help center lists the countries that are blocked (and says VPNs must not be used to get around it), so check Polymarket's geographic restrictions and your local rules before you sign up.

Betting on prediction markets involves real risk. You are responsible for following your local laws and for any taxes. This guide is educational, not financial or legal advice, and you must be 18 or older.

Step 1: Create your account

Polymarket's help center lists three ways to sign up: Google, email, or a crypto wallet such as MetaMask, Rabby or Phantom. With email you enter your address and then a 6-digit code sent to you. With a wallet you connect it and sign two messages, one to connect and one to enable trading.

Step 2: Deposit funds

In the app, click Deposit, choose a method such as Transfer Crypto, then pick the token and network. Each account has its own fixed deposit address. Polymarket's help center gives these cautions:

• Send a small test amount first. Transactions sent to the wrong chain or address cannot be reversed.
• Check the minimum for the network. For example, deposits below $20 on Ethereum or $3 on Solana stay pending until the total reaches the minimum.
• Verify the address in your profile before sending, and use the same wallet and login method you created the account with.

The help center describes crypto transfers; other payment options may exist in the app, so check what it offers you. Polymarket itself does not charge a deposit fee, but third-party services you use to buy or send crypto may. See Polymarket fees explained.

Step 3: Find a market and pick a side

Every market is a question with two sides, Yes and No (some sports markets show the two teams instead). The price of each side is its implied chance in cents; read how to read Polymarket odds if the numbers are new to you.

If you would rather start from ready-made ideas, open any ticket on Polycord: the Bet on Polymarket button lists every leg with its own link to the right market on Polymarket.

Step 4: Enter an amount and confirm

1. Choose the side you want to buy (Yes or No).
2. Enter how much you want to spend.
3. Review the price per share, the shares you would get, the potential payout and any fees.
4. Confirm the trade.

Start small. Your first trade is for learning how the screens, prices and fees behave, not for making money.

Step 5: After your bet

• Sell early. You can sell your shares at any time before the market resolves, at the current price. That locks in a gain or limits a loss.
• Or wait for the result. Markets resolve through UMA's Optimistic Oracle: someone proposes the outcome and there is a challenge period in which it can be disputed.
• Redeem winners. Each winning share can be redeemed for $1, and losing shares become worthless.

Polymarket describes withdrawals as instant and free of Polymarket fees; withdrawing to another network can still involve bridge or swap costs, which the app shows in a quote before you confirm.

Frequently asked questions