Novig Scales US Sports Trading With CFTC Model
How Novig Is Positioned
Novig operates as a US sports prediction market where users trade contracts on match outcomes with each other. Prices are formed by opposing orders, not by a bookmaker setting odds with an embedded margin. The brand name comes from "no vig", a reference to removing the bookmaker's cut.
The company was founded in New York in 2021 by Jacob Fortinsky and Kelechi Ukah. Since August 2026, Novig has operated under CFTC oversight as a prediction market. That structure means it does not rely on state sports betting licences and is available across most of the US, excluding three states.
What The Product Offers
Novig is focused entirely on sport. Its markets cover NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, college football, college basketball, UFC, football, tennis and golf. It does not offer contracts on politics, crypto or culture, which creates a clear contrast with multi-vertical prediction market rivals.
The product includes singles and parlays. A single position can be closed before the end of a match at the current market price, which gives users a trading-style exit rather than a traditional fixed bet. Parlays cannot be closed out early. The platform is limited to users aged 21 and over, which is stricter than many prediction markets that accept users from 18.
Traffic Signals And Audience Mix
In September 2026, Novig recorded 2.05 million visits, up 298% month on month. Average session duration reached 2 minutes and 54 seconds, with 3.3 pages per visit and a bounce rate of 55.4%. Mobile accounted for 57.7% of traffic, which points to a user base engaging primarily through handheld devices.
The US delivered 47.7% of traffic, followed by India at 10.1%, Canada at 5.7%, the UK at 5.5% and Australia at 3.6%. Direct traffic led with 51%, while organic search contributed 28%, social 10%, display and paid 6%, and referrals 4%. That mix suggests strong brand-led discovery supported by search visibility and social reach.
Why The Model Matters For Players And Operators
Novig is built around a message that resonates with price-sensitive bettors: no bookmaker margin and no limits for consistent winners. In a conventional sportsbook, odds are adjusted to protect margin and profitable players can face stake restrictions. A peer-to-peer exchange model changes that dynamic because the platform matches users rather than taking the opposite side of each bet.
According to the company, around 20% of its users are profitable, compared with roughly 2% at traditional bookmakers. For players, that is a strong acquisition message centred on fairness and market access. For operators and suppliers, it shows how exchange-style sports products can attract a sharper audience that values pricing, flexibility and transparent market mechanics.
Sports-Only Branding As A Differentiator
Novig's clearest brand decision is its exclusive focus on sport. Kalshi and Polymarket also capture attention through contracts linked to elections, economics and crypto. Novig is pursuing a narrower position by concentrating on markets that already have mainstream betting demand in the US.
That message featured prominently in a campaign with actress and Novig co-owner Sydney Sweeney, which stated that the platform does not offer markets on war, death or politics. The Instagram post tied to the advert generated 47 million views. For the brand, the campaign sharpened product identity and made market access easier to explain to sports fans.
Commercial Implications
Novig presents itself like a sportsbook in the front end, but its back-end logic is closer to a market exchange. That combination matters because it lowers the education barrier for mainstream sports bettors while still promoting better pricing and user-controlled order entry. A fan does not need to learn why NFL betting matters. The platform only needs to explain why its market structure offers a better route.
For the wider iGaming sector, Novig highlights a live commercial theme in the US: regulation, product design and marketing can be combined to create alternatives to the standard sportsbook model. Suppliers serving trading, pricing, front-end UX and compliance should pay close attention as prediction market formats continue to influence sports wagering behaviour.
Source: iGR Telegram
π Source: iGR Telegram
