Hacksaw launches B2B prediction market platform… Malta license also expanded
Hacksaw Group launched a B2B prediction market platform. The Malta MGA extended its existing supply license to Type 3, approving P2P prediction market services. Operators launch a prediction market under their own brand, and the Hacksaw network pools the participation volume.
Key takeaways
- Hacksaw Group launched its B2B prediction market platform on October 15.
- The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) extended its supply license to Type 3, approving the supply of P2P prediction markets.
- Operators launch a prediction market under their own brand, and the Hacksaw network pools the participation volume.
- A new business that came out three days after the Q3 growth slowdown announcement.
Who will win the next election? Will rates go up this month? A prediction market is a place where people put money on questions like these and buy and sell positions. In the US, Kalshi and Polymarket have grown rapidly over the past few years. On October 15, slot provider Hacksaw announced it is entering this market.
The Hacksaw Group, parent company of Hacksaw Gaming, said it has launched a B2B prediction markets platform. On the same day came news that the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) had widened Hacksaw’s supply license.
The Malta license has been extended to Type 3
Hacksaw originally held the MGA’s B2B critical gaming supply license. Its scope was Type 1, meaning casino games such as slots. This time the MGA extended that license to cover Type 3 gaming services. Type 3 covers P2P-style services where players compete against each other, and on the basis of this approval, Hacksaw can now supply P2P prediction market services to operators.
Hacksaw finished its regulatory preparation first and then launched the product. Prediction markets are legally unstable territory because countries differ on whether they count as financial products or gambling. In its press release, Hacksaw stressed a “compliance first” principle several times.
A different path from Kalshi and Polymarket
The path Hacksaw chose is not a consumer platform. It does not recruit members directly. Instead, it lends technology and infrastructure to casino operators. Operators can add a prediction market to their sites while keeping their own brand and customer relationships intact. It is the same structure as the way Hacksaw supplies slots.
| Category | Consumer-facing prediction markets | Hacksaw B2B platform |
|---|---|---|
| Customers | Recruiting members directly | The operator’s existing customers |
| Brand | The platform’s own brand | Operator brand |
| Participation volume | Among its own members only | Connecting all operators across the Hacksaw network |
| Example | Kalshi, Polymarket | Hacksaw Group |
A linking structure that pools volume
The weak point of P2P prediction markets is the number of participants. Even if someone wants to buy, no trade happens if no one on the other side is willing to sell. A single casino launching a prediction market on its own would run into this problem early on.
Hacksaw’s answer to this is a “connected volume framework.” It is a structure that pools the participation of multiple operators using the Hacksaw platform. Even a small casino can trade with participants across the whole network from day one. Marcus Cordes, COO of Hacksaw Gaming, said, “We are already working closely with operators across multiple jurisdictions, so we can make the route into the market simple.”
$1 trillion forecast for 2030
As support for the market size, Hacksaw cited a forecast from brokerage Bernstein. It says annual prediction market trading volume could grow to around $1 trillion by 2030. Hacksaw plans to take on the infrastructure and distribution layers of this market.
Ana Bravic, CEO of the Verdir Group, said, “Prediction markets are an attractive opportunity where technology, entertainment, and market participation meet,” adding, “Our existing platform, distribution capabilities, and operator relationships are major strengths in this area.” The company said the platform was built by its existing development team within existing costs.
Announced three days after the Q3 slowdown
The timing of the announcement stands out. Three days earlier, on October 12, Hacksaw released its preliminary Q3 results, saying growth had slowed to 11-12%. Growth that had been around 30% in the first half dropped sharply, and the share price fell steeply. With slot releases alone no longer guaranteeing the old growth, the company pulled out a new business card.
In September, Hacksaw also released a crash game. It is “Money Plane,” covered in the September roundup. The trend continues of expanding from a slot company into a technology company for casino games in general.
In short
Hacksaw does not run a prediction market itself; it builds the technology for casinos to use and sells it. It secured the legal basis first through the expanded MGA license, and said it will solve the early volume problem with a structure that pools the participation of multiple operators. Which operators will add it, and when, has not been announced yet. You can keep playing Hacksaw’s core business, slots, in the Hacksaw Gaming free slots.
Source: Hacksaw AB disclosure