Report: Zuckerberg Approved a Meta Forecast-Betting App in the Style of Polymarket

Mark Zuckerberg has approved development of a standalone Meta smartphone app for prediction markets, according to a New York Times report published June 24, 2026. The internal project is said to be called Arena, and Meta reportedly views it as “experimental but a top priority.”

At first, the app would not use real money. Users would earn points for correct predictions on topics ranging from politics to conflicts, and money could be added later. Although Arena is expected to remain separate from Meta’s existing social platforms, the report says Facebook, Instagram and other Meta services could direct users to it. The article also suggests Meta could eventually integrate betting tools more broadly into its networks.

The move comes after the rapid growth of prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi, which together reached tens of billions of dollars in trading volume by April. Other platforms have also tried to enter the space, including X, which partnered with Polymarket last summer.

The sector has drawn increasing legal scrutiny as well. The report cites cases including a former senior special forces officer accused of using inside information to profit from a contract tied to an attempted capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, an investigation involving George Santos over alleged Kalshi trades, and probes in Israel into reservists who bet on the Iran strike. Both Polymarket and Kalshi are also working on identity-check systems to reduce fraud. If Meta launches its own betting platform, the article says it will likely have to confront those same issues from day one.