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Of course Meta thinks gambling is the future

Meta is reportedly building a prediction market app to clone Polymarket, leveraging its user base and advertising engine to capitalize on the trend of turning everything into gambling. The move comes amid internal morale problems and a broader push into AI and advertising, as discussed on The Vergecast.

read2 min views1 publishedJun 26, 2026
Of course Meta thinks gambling is the future
Image: The Verge

Meta is, by and large, a company built on other companies’ ideas. It has almost perfected the strategy: wait for a new platform or social mechanic to take off, then either buy or clone it, put it next to Meta’s unmatched user base and advertising engine, and watch the money pile up. Well, the next big thing appears to be turning everything into gambling. So why wouldn’t Meta make a Polymarket?

On The Vergecast: Polymarket for your Facebook, Apple’s big price hikes, Cannes Lions, and more.

On The Vergecast: Polymarket for your Facebook, Apple’s big price hikes, Cannes Lions, and more.

On this episode of The Vergecast, David and Nilay discuss the reported prediction market app being built inside Meta, plus the company’s

[onslaught](/tech/952557/instagrams-tv-app-is-coming-to-samsung-tvs-in-the-us)of

[other](/tech/954052/meta-glasses-hands-on-kylie-jenner-smart-glasses-price-battery-privacy)

[news](/tech/953464/whatsapp-will-cathcart-stepping-down-cred)

[this](/tech/954345/meta-s-employee-tracking-tool-after-internal-leak)

[week](/tech/956668/meta-facebook-creator-studio-ai-app-relaunch)— and its massive, apparently increasing

morale problems. Nilay’s at Cannes Lions in France this week, where Meta’s advertising prowess is on full display, and yet it also feels like Meta is in crisis. So which is it? And what is your Facebook feed about to become?

After that, the hosts dive into the news of Apple’s price hikes and try to figure out just how much RAMageddon is going to change the gadget market. Then it’s time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, the strange case of the movie Artificial

*,*really expensive

[home theater systems](/tech/951718/kaleidescape-strato-e-review), and more.

[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL39u5ZEfYDEO5PaNRWyqloGY6zzJ1fjBa) | [Listen](https://bit.ly/3hkwRl2) | [Get ad-free](/bulletin/795051/verge-podcast-ad-free-set-up-how-to)

In case you missed it this week: We also reviewed the Steam Machine, made the case for smart glasses, answered your smart home questions, and explored the weird world of AI training data. And we want to hear all your thoughts about all of it! Call the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11, send us an email at vergecast@theverge.com, and tell us everything that’s on your mind. And make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!

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