Robinhood Markets is deploying a World Cup-themed sweepstakes and discounted prediction market fees to attract new subscribers to its Gold membership tier. The fintech is offering 10 prize packages, each valued at approximately $20,000, to attend the FIFA World Cup Final scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Winners receive one VIP seat, a two-night hotel stay, a $700 airline voucher, and $200 in rideshare credit, totaling $200,000 in prizes.
The sweepstakes, running from June 9 through June 25, is open to U.S. residents aged 18 and older who hold a Robinhood brokerage account and an active Gold membership. New Gold subscribers can access a 30-day free trial, after which the service costs $5 monthly or $50 annually. Benefits include 3.75% APY on cash balances, a 3% match on self-directed IRAs, and AI-powered research tools.
Robinhood reported in its first-quarter 2026 earnings that Gold subscribers reached 4.3 million, a 36% year-over-year increase, while subscription revenue rose 32% to $50 million. The Robinhood Gold credit card, launched in 2024, has surpassed 800,000 cardholders. The company is also tying its prediction markets for World Cup wagering to Gold membership, with CEO Vlad Tenev noting on X that Gold members pay up to 50% lower fees on World Cup event contracts.
Robinhood recently shifted its prediction market operations to Rothera, a joint venture with Susquehanna International Group, moving away from its previous partner Kalshi. As of June 23, Rothera has executed over one billion World Cup contracts since the tournament began on June 11. A company spokesperson clarified that only a selection of contracts are on Rothera, and prediction markets remain available only to retail customers, not RIAs on the TradePMR platform.
Investor Ryan Frankel, speaking at Robinhood's TradePMR conference for RIAs earlier this month, described placing a $500 World Cup prediction bet alongside S&P 500 ETFs in his account. He noted the wager was small but that he checks it as frequently as his portfolio. The broader prediction market landscape has seen significant volume, with Fortune reporting $2.9 billion in World Cup wagers on Kalshi alone, surpassing its March Madness total of $2.51 billion. Combined with Polymarket, over $5.4 billion has been wagered on the tournament.
Meanwhile, Charles Schwab is entering the prediction market arena with contracts tied to S&P 500 performance, in partnership with Cboe Global Markets. Schwab CEO Rick Wurster told Bloomberg in January that he distinguishes prediction markets from sports gambling, noting that 95% of current prediction market volume is sports betting, which he said Schwab will leave to firms like FanDuel, DraftKings, and Robinhood.
Robinhood's push into prediction markets and subscriber incentives comes amid broader industry shifts. For advisors, the integration of such features raises questions about client engagement and risk, as highlighted in a recent article on deepening client ties through banking and lending. Additionally, the World Cup's economic impact is significant, with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan easing return-to-office rules during the tournament, as reported in this analysis of productivity losses.
Robinhood's strategy to leverage the World Cup for subscriber growth mirrors its broader efforts to expand its fintech ecosystem, though it faces scrutiny over the blurring lines between investing and gambling. The company's recent staff cuts, including journalists at Sherwood News, as covered in this report, underscore its focus on in-app content and user engagement.
