SOFTSWISS panel says fixed-odds prediction markets fit regulated iGaming better than exchange models

SOFTSWISS held a live LinkedIn panel on “Prediction Markets for iGaming: Risks and Opportunities” to look at whether prediction markets should be treated as a standalone product or folded into existing sportsbook offers. For operators and PSPs, the practical point is simple: the model you choose changes the risk, liquidity, and compliance stack.

1. The panel brought together specialists from NEXT.io and the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook to compare business models, regulatory approaches, and commercial use cases for prediction markets.
2. One key takeaway was that prediction markets are more than just another sportsbook feature. The participants said they can increase player engagement and bring back existing audiences, while also attracting users who have traditionally stayed outside sports betting.
3. The discussion contrasted peer-to-peer exchanges such as those used by Polymarket and Kalshi with fixed-odds betting. Exchange models have driven much of the category’s growth, but the panel said liquidity management, infrastructure requirements, and regulatory uncertainty make that model hard to replicate inside regulated iGaming operations. Fixed-odds prediction markets, by contrast, fit more naturally into existing sportsbook risk management and compliance workflows.
4. Alexander Kamenetskyi, Head of Operations at SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, said operators are no longer asking whether prediction markets deserve attention. In his words, they now want “precise ways to assess the opportunity and implement it responsibly,” which means understanding the commercial upside alongside the technical, regulatory, and risk-management requirements before bringing a new product to market.
5. The panel also focused on player acquisition. Participants pointed to the simple Yes/No mechanics of prediction markets as a lower entry barrier for beginners. Pierre Lindh, cofounder and managing director of NEXT.io, said the real question is whether prediction markets will stand the test of time or remain a passing trend, and argued that binary options could reshape the sportsbook model because users want a simplified experience.

On regional development, the discussion said Europe will probably not follow the same path as the United States. For regulated operators, that is the part that matters: the category is not just about product design, but about which jurisdiction will tolerate which structure, and under what controls.