The esports betting platform Forkast began operations in 2025. Its top boss, Chris Gonsalves, looks to expand a lot in 2026. This comes as esports sees a big jump in popularity.
In the United States, betting sites are getting more packed. Places like Kalshi are growing bigger. Polymarket is back, and big sportsbooks such as FanDuel and DraftKings now offer their own betting setups.
Gonsalves sees a chance to grow prediction markets in new places. He points right at Latin America.
In a talk this week, he said, A lot of people have been focused on the US market, US sports in particular. You could make a case that’s starting to get saturated. That’s a competitive area. But it’s not like people around the world don’t like trading stocks, watching sports, or watching esports. There’s a huge untapped audience.
Esports Fans Beyond the United States
Gonsalves thinks esports events will draw even more crowds this year. He noted, We think esports is going to have a huge growth spurt this year. Esports is still massively watched. There are record viewership numbers.
Many of those watchers live outside the US. He went on, Last week, Mobile Legends became the fourth most-watched esports event. And then you have League of Legends getting nearly 7 million peak concurrent viewers. Most of this isn’t coming from the US. The data is saying that the viewership is there.
The firm focuses on esports lovers in Latin America. He said, We have boots on the ground, team members in Brazil, Argentina, so I think we have a real advantage, and it’s an untapped area that’s going to grow.
Challenges for Prediction Betting Sites
In the US, prediction markets deal with more legal checks. Some states question sites that let people bet on sports.
Forkast seeks users outside the US. But it might face rules in places like Brazil too.
Brazil wants stricter rules on online betting. It cracks down on sites without licenses.
Prediction markets stay in a unclear spot in many Latin American spots. Still, Gonsalves thinks esports groups will help make it okay.
He pointed out that many teams gain from Riot Games letting betting sponsors join. He feels the direct user-to-user style of prediction markets will draw in esports fans.
He added, I think the esports teams probably want to move away from the non-peer-to-peer platforms into these more peer-to-peer platforms that are more user-centric.
