Betting Market Fanatics Risk It All for Six-Figure Payouts

The boom in betting sites like Polymarket and Kalshi is creating a new class of market watchers who are blurring the lines between gambling and investing, and shrugging off the risk of losses.

Some Americans are now trying to earn big paydays by simply betting on outcomes in politics, sports, pop culture and more. A few are meeting success: A wager on Disney’s Moana 2 that paid out more than $44,000; another on the release of Taylor Swift’s new album that secured a $7,500 gain; and a correct guess that tech company Astronomer would fire its kiss-cam-caught CEO that yielded ...