Financial technology firm IG Group has announced it will launch its own prediction markets offering in the United Kingdom during the fourth quarter of 2026, aiming to capitalize on surging consumer appetite. The FTSE 100-listed enterprise revealed its strategic roadmap during its Capital Markets Event on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
According to company disclosures, the upcoming proposition will position itself as the UK’s first 24/5, tax-free, regulated financial prediction markets platform, offering contracts spanning sports, politics, and entertainment. Supporting the launch, data from the IG Brand Relaunch Tracker 2026, which surveyed approximately 1,000 active UK traders and investors, indicated that 84 per cent of active UK investors find prediction markets appealing.
Furthermore, demand is increasingly flowing offshore; Similarweb figures from April highlighted that UK visits to offshore prediction market platforms reached approximately two million, representing a 377% increase over a two-year period.
Regulatory compliance and licensing framework
To establish the new service, IG Group submitted an application for a Gambling Commission licence, while confirming that the offering will also be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The move follows the company’s acquisition of Underdog in July, which served to accelerate its strategic expansion into the prediction markets sector.
The launch arrives amid broader regulatory clarity regarding prediction markets in the UK. Earlier in February, Gambling Commission Director of Strategy Brad Enright addressed the classification of such platforms during regulatory discussions, stating that US-style prediction market platforms would likely be unable to classify themselves as non-gambling products within the British market.
“If a prediction market operator was to launch here in Great Britain, we do not believe they would be able to classify themselves as non-gambling products,” Enright noted, emphasizing that offshore operators lacking appropriate licensing must refrain from targeting UK consumers due to potential criminal offenses associated with unlicensed operations. By securing dual oversight through the Gambling Commission and the FCA, IG Group aims to establish a fully compliant domestic alternative for British retail investors.
