Novig is the sports-only prediction market. It began as a peer-to-peer betting exchange, spent 2025 as a sweepstakes app, and on August 4, 2026 relaunched as a CFTC-regulated exchange available in 47 states to users 21 and over. Its pitch is simple: an order book with no house, no fee on pre-game trades, and parlays. It is legitimate and well funded. It is also three months old in its current form, excludes Arizona, Michigan and Nevada, and has no markets outside sports.
What Novig is
Founded by Jacob Fortinsky and Kelechi Ukah, Novig has worked through three business models in five years. The sweepstakes period ended as states cracked down on that model in 2025–26; Novig applied to the CFTC in January 2026 as Ludlow Exchange LLC, closed a $75 million Series B at a roughly $500 million valuation, received Designated Contract Market approval in June, and went live nationally in August. In July it became the New York Mets' official prediction market partner, the first such deal with an MLB team.
Unlike Kalshi and Polymarket, Novig lists sports and nothing else: moneylines, spreads, totals, player props, futures and combos across the major US leagues, golf, soccer and more.
Fees
| Trade type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Pre-game market order | None |
| Resting order filled by someone else (maker) | None |
| Live, in-game market order (taker) | 3% × price × (1 − price) per contract, about 0.75¢ at 50¢ |
| Parlays | A fee is built into the quoted price (reported at 10% × price × (1 − price)) |
| Maker Credit Program | Returns 50% of the taker fee to makers whose resting orders fill in live markets |
That makes Novig the cheapest of the three regulated exchanges for straight pre-game sports trading, and cheaper than Kalshi in-play (Kalshi's rate is 7%). Novig's own framing is that it has "scrapped the ~8% vig" of a sportsbook; that's roughly right for pre-game singles, and the parlay pricing is where to read the fine print.
Deposits and withdrawals
- Deposit: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover and Apple Pay (3% fee); bank link via Aeropay (free); USDC or USDT stablecoins (free; one-time address, expires in 60 minutes).
- Withdraw: bank transfer or debit card, minimum $10, often within minutes, up to 24–48 hours when busy. No playthrough requirement on deposits.
- Verification: KYC required before withdrawal, as on every regulated exchange.
Where it's available
Everywhere in the US except Arizona, Michigan and Nevada, per Novig's support pages at launch. Those three are states with active enforcement against prediction markets (Michigan and Nevada have court orders against Kalshi's sports contracts; Arizona filed criminal charges). Novig hasn't said publicly why it chose to exclude them from day one, but the pattern suggests it's avoiding the fights Kalshi is having. Washington state's broad order against prediction markets arrived around the same time as Novig's launch; check the app in that state.
Welcome credits and points
The launch offer has been trade credits for a $10 deposit: partner pages have shown $25 and $50 versions (the $50 one as five $10 credits usable on contracts priced up to 60¢, each expiring 30 days after issue). Winnings from a credit are withdrawable; the credit isn't. There's also an opt-in loyalty program, Novig Points, with monthly tiers that pay out Novig Cash from a monthly pool. Details on the promo page.
The rough edges
- Young in this form. Three months of operating history as an exchange, after two model changes. Liquidity on minor markets is thinner than Kalshi's.
- Sports only. No hedge into other categories, and sports is exactly the category states are suing over.
- Card deposits cost 3%. Use the bank link or stablecoins.
- 21+. Fine for most; a wall if you're 18–20 and used to Kalshi.
Who it suits
A sports trader who wants the cheapest pre-game execution and a familiar sportsbook-style interface, in a state that isn't fighting prediction markets. If you also trade politics or macro, you'll need a second account elsewhere.
How it stacks up against the incumbent.
Novig vs Kalshi