Who I Am
I’m Randy Smith — trader, technical analyst, and the person behind PredictionScout.
I’ve spent years actively trading and studying markets. I’ve also built and operated multiple websites in the consumer finance space, specifically in credit products — credit scores, credit repair, and credit monitoring. That background matters here because credit content sits in the same category Google calls YMYL (Your Money, Your Life): products that affect people’s financial decisions, where getting the information wrong has real consequences.
Building in that space taught me two things that directly shaped PredictionScout. First, the sites that survive and rank long-term are the ones that earn trust through transparency, not the ones that chase affiliate commissions with thin content. Second, the most valuable thing you can give a reader making a financial decision is a clear, honest comparison backed by a consistent methodology — not a sales pitch.
When prediction markets went mainstream in 2024–2025 — Kalshi winning its CFTC case, Polymarket hitting billions in election volume, FanDuel and DraftKings entering the space — I saw the same gap I’d seen in credit products years earlier: a growing category where consumers had no independent, methodology-driven resource to make informed decisions. Plenty of hype, plenty of affiliate listicles, zero published scoring frameworks.
PredictionScout exists to fill that gap.
You can find me on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).
What PredictionScout Is
An independent review and comparison site for prediction market platforms. Think of it as the NerdWallet of prediction markets — we test the platforms, score them using a published methodology, explain the mechanics, and help you decide if and where to trade.
We are not a gambling site. We are not a news site. We are not affiliated with any prediction market platform’s editorial or product team. We’re the independent guide.
The Trust Statement
Every platform we review, we use. Every score we assign, we explain. Every recommendation we make, we disclose whether we earn a commission. If a platform is bad, we say so — even if they’re paying us.
That’s not marketing language. It’s an operational commitment. Here’s how it works in practice:
- Every review follows the same 9-category scoring methodology with defined rubrics
- Scores are transparent — the criteria are public, the weights are public, the rubric definitions are public
- If you disagree with a score, you can point to the rubric and tell us where we got it wrong
- Affiliate relationships are disclosed at the top of every review, not buried in a footer
- Rankings reflect methodology scores, not commission rates
Editorial Principles
These are non-negotiable. They govern every piece of content on this site.
- We never recommend a platform we haven’t researched thoroughly. Every review is built on public fee schedules, regulatory filings, user review analysis across Trustpilot, BBB, Reddit, and App Store data, and community research.
- Affiliate relationships are disclosed at the top of every review, not buried in a footer. You know how we make money before you read the first paragraph.
- Platform limitations get equal space to strengths. Read our Kalshi review — the highest-scoring platform on the site — and you’ll find extensive coverage of its withdrawal problems (5.0/10) and customer support failures (4.0/10). That’s not an accident.
- Content is updated when platforms change. Regulatory changes within 48 hours. Fee changes, feature changes, and significant user experience changes within one week.
- Rankings reflect methodology scores, not commission rates. If a platform pays us well and scores poorly, the poor score gets published. If a platform doesn’t pay us and scores well, it still gets recommended.
- Risk warnings are integrated into content, not CYA disclaimers. You won’t find a page of legal boilerplate at the bottom. You’ll find risk context woven into the sections where it’s relevant.
- No political predictions or opinions. We cover prediction market mechanics for elections. We don’t tell you who will win. Ever.
- We cover platform failures and problems as prominently as launches. The Kalshi NFL payout controversy (January 2026), the Polymarket security breach (December 2025), the FanDuel/Nevada gaming license dispute — these are documented in our reviews because they affect your trust assessment.
How We Make Money
PredictionScout earns revenue through affiliate partnerships with prediction market platforms. When you click a link to a platform and open a funded account, we may earn a commission.
That’s the business model. Here’s what it does and doesn’t mean:
What it means:
- We have a financial incentive for you to open accounts on the platforms we review
- We disclose this relationship at the top of every review and comparison page
- The specific commission structure for each platform is noted in its review
What it doesn’t mean:
- Platforms cannot pay for higher scores or placement in rankings
- Commission rates do not factor into our scoring methodology
- We publish reviews of platforms that don’t have affiliate programs (and say so)
- A platform offering us a better deal doesn’t change its score
For full details, see our Affiliate Disclosure.
How We Review Platforms
Every platform is evaluated across 9 weighted categories:
| Category | Weight | Why This Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Status & Fund Safety | 20% | If your money isn’t safe, nothing else matters |
| Fees & Costs | 15% | Direct impact on every trade |
| Market Selection | 15% | Can you trade what you came here for? |
| Liquidity & Execution | 15% | Can you actually trade at the prices shown? |
| Withdrawal Experience | 10% | The moment of truth — getting money out |
| User Experience | 10% | Matters most for beginners |
| Deposit & Funding Options | 5% | How you get money in |
| Customer Support | 5% | When things go wrong |
| Tax & Reporting Tools | 5% | Overlooked pain point for active traders |
Each category has a defined rubric with score ranges (1–10) and specific criteria for each range. The full framework, rubric definitions, testing protocol, and anti-gaming protections are published on the Methodology page.
Scores are updated when platforms make meaningful changes. Every update is logged with the date and reason.
Contact
Questions, corrections, or platform suggestions: reach out on X (Twitter) or LinkedIn.
If you’re a platform operator interested in being reviewed, read the Methodology page first. Reviews are prioritized by US availability, regulatory status, and user volume. We don’t accept payment to expedite or influence reviews.
Common Questions
Who runs PredictionScout?
PredictionScout is founded and run by Randy Smith, a trader and financial content publisher with years of experience in technical analysis, active trading, and building consumer finance websites in the credit products space. More detail in the Who I Am section above.
How does PredictionScout make money?
Through affiliate partnerships with prediction market platforms. When you click a link and open a funded account, we may earn a commission. Rankings and scores are determined by our published methodology — platforms cannot pay for higher placement. Full details in our Affiliate Disclosure.
Can I trust PredictionScout reviews?
Every review follows the same published scoring methodology with defined rubrics across 9 categories. The criteria, weights, and rubric definitions are all public. If a platform scores poorly, that score gets published regardless of affiliate relationship. The Methodology page documents the full framework, including anti-gaming protections.