Gamification and memes lure young people to sports wagering apps, prediction markets (opens in new tab)

A phone displays crypto prices on the Kalshi app on April 16, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)2026-05-28T10:00:06Z When Rory McIlroy won the Masters for the second year in a row, Kalshi shared a photo of him on Instagram with the words, “Wait he’s goated.” When a video of NBA player Damian Lillard recovering from an injury circulated online, Kalshi’s main competitor Polymarket posted, “The league is cooked.”If you don’t know what either of those phrases mean, it’s because y...