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What is Speed Cash?
Taking a page from a number of humourous Nike commercials during the 1990s, along with a farcical spot aired by the NFL during Super Bowl LIII, Berg injected slapstick comedy into the ad in an apparent attempt to cater to sports fans.
Within a common area inside the Polymarket headquarters, Manning skied high to catch a ball from a jugs machine, while he withstood a low tackle from a defender. “Good morning, Eli,” James proclaimed, before the two-time Super Bowl MVP tossed him the football outside an elevator adorned with the Polymarket logo. Seconds later, James exchanged a handshake with Jeter, a Hall of Fame shortstop who won five World Series titles with the New York Yankees. Last month, the Yankees became the first Major League Baseball club to directly partner with Polymarket.
The total cost of the ad has not been divulged by Polymarket, but it is fair to estimate that it fell in the millions given the high expenses of bringing aboard a prominent filmmaker such as Berg. Beyond director fees, Polymarket also had to budget for agency and concept fees, set construction and post-production costs that include visual effects, licensing and sound design. In late-August, Polymarket disclosed that it has sought a $21 billion valuation in a new funding round led by Donald Trump Jr’s venture firm, 1789 Capital.
About Speed Cash
Takers is a prediction market industry colloquialism for the market participants that swiftly fill buy and sell orders, thus removing liquidity from the marketplace. Conversely, makers are the market participants viewed as liquidity providers and professional or sharp money.
“Recent launches, including customizable same-game parlays (SGPs), further support our view that Prediction Markets (PM) are increasingly converging with traditional sportsbooks,” observes Macquarie analyst Chad Beynon. “As a result, we now estimate total US PM taker volume to reach $190 billion in 2026E (vs $169 billion prior).”
If the research firm’s $190 billion taker volume estimate proves accurate, it’d represent a more than eightfold increase from the $22 billion taker turnover seen last year.
What is Speed Cash?
In addition to illegal gambling, investigators suspect extensive tax evasion, with a projected tax shortfall of about €77.6 million for 2024.
The DSWV, representing licensed sports-betting operators, broadly welcomed the law enforcement action as a necessary response to the illegal market’s growth and associated risks.
“This successful investigation clearly demonstrates the scale that the illegal gambling market has now reached,” said Mathias Dahms, president of the DSWV.
