There are a lot of disagreements in this country… but I think one thing even Bernie and Desantis would agree on is that America doesn’t need more ways to gamble.

Between DraftKings, Vegas, Robinhood “YOLO options,” and my creepy neighbor running a March Madness pool out of his garage (true story), the appetite is already there. But now things are getting a little crazier: you’ll soon be able to bet on financial markets the same way you bet on Monday Night Football. Yes, really.

Flutter Entertainment (FanDuel’s parent company), just teamed up with CME Group, the biggest futures exchange in the U.S., to launch event-based contracts that let you wager on market outcomes for as little as $1. Because apparently, we looked at our already impressive gambling addiction and thought, “You know what this needs? More ways to lose money on things we don’t understand.”

(Source: Investopedia)

Think of it as a mash-up between Wall Street and DraftKings, where instead of picking the Chiefs to cover the spread, you’re betting on whether the S&P 500 finishes the day above a certain level or if GDP data comes in hotter than expected. (Because who doesn’t want to sweat inflation like it’s a playoff game? I can’t think of a better way to describe “economic literacy” like yelling at the TV during CPI.)

The offering, which is set to launch later this year, could reshape the online wagering industry. FanDuel already dominates U.S. sports betting with more than 40% market share, and CME has been experimenting with small-stakes “yes/no” contracts on futures. But this partnership extends those products to the masses, putting financial market gambling in front of millions of FanDuel users who already know how to place a parlay. (Basically, your fantasy football buddy who still thinks AMC is “going to the moon” can now lose money twice as fast.)

The timing is also interesting. Flutter just reported Q2 results that showed adjusted EBITDA up 25% year over year, driven by 16% revenue growth and continued U.S. dominance. Net income, however, plunged 88% thanks to some non-cash accounting charges and the costs of recent acquisitions. I guess you could say the top line is growing, but the bottom line is a bit of a hot mess. CME, meanwhile, is having a strong year… its stock is up 18% year-to-date, while Flutter’s is up 14%. Shares of Flutter rose 1.5% in after-hours trading on the announcement, while CME ticked higher as well.

(Source: Stocktwits)

Of course, this isn’t happening in a vacuum. The broader “prediction market” trend has been picking up steam. Platforms like Kalshi and PredictIt already let people wager on economic and political outcomes, DraftKings is rumored to be eyeing acquisitions in the space, and Robinhood just rolled out their own football prediction markets… basically Wall Street meets tailgate. Instead of throwing $50 on the Titans to cover, you’re “trading event contracts” on whether (insert your favorite team) will choke in the 4th quarter again. It’s the same sweat, just with a suit and tie vocabulary so Robinhood can say, “No officer, this isn’t gambling… it’s investing.”

CME’s CEO Terry Duffy said what he should have kept in his head when he explained that “individual investors are increasingly sophisticated and continually pursuing new financial opportunities.” So, regular people are bored and broke, and will happily gamble on Derrick Henry running for 2,000 yards than sit through another game of Monopoly with their in-laws.

FanDuel’s CEO Amy Howe added that there’s “a wide audience for trading event-based markets,” which is more like saying “Americans will bet on literally anything, so why not this?” (If someone offered odds on whether your Uber Eats driver forgets the fries, half the country would be in.)

For Flutter, this seems like a chance to deepen its moat by expanding into financial markets while DraftKings lurks in the background. For CME, it’s a way to monetize retail enthusiasm without trying to teach everyone what a put/call spread is. And for retail traders, it’s a new casino floor disguised as a brokerage product. Depending on who you ask, this is either democratization of finance or pouring jet fuel on America’s gambling problem. (it’s probably both, but at least it’ll be entertaining.)

Either way, get ready. In a few months, some guy in Ohio is going to parlay “Chiefs cover the spread” with “CPI comes in under 3.2%.” Welcome to the future of investing. Or at least, betting.

At the time this article was published Stocks.News holds positions in Robinhood and Uber mentioned in article.