Based on 15 public wallets checked on polyfees by 13 October 2026, from Polymarket’s own public records.
The short answer
Traders who bet on sports and esports before the game starts paid about 1.77% of the money they bet in fees, a little less than traders who bet during the game (1.99%). They also sold before the end far less often, and an instant sale pays a second fee. 10 of 15 wallets were ahead on their Polymarket profile, which is before fees, and 9 after fees.
To see what fees took from your own month, type your Polymarket @name or paste your address into the free check above.
How this style trades
We looked at 15 public wallets checked on polyfees by 13 October 2026 with half or more of their money bet before the start, each over the 30 days before its check. Polymarket’s monthly leaders are left out.
- Soccer came up most, then NFL, CS2 and college football.
- Almost all instant. About 99% of the money went in with instant buys at the screen price.
- Rarely sold early. The typical wallet sold before the end on about 14% of its money, against about 43% for traders who bet during the game.
- A typical bet was about $95, and the typical wallet bet $39,297 in 30 days.
What it cost
- Fees: about 1.77% of the money bet for the typical wallet, from 0.86% to 2.61% for the middle half.
- Almost nothing came back. The typical wallet paid $318.70 in fees in 30 days and got $3.60 back from Polymarket.
- Fees turned 1 of 15 months around, from a profit on the profile to a loss after fees.
The price before the start
We checked 34,065 finished “who wins” markets in sports and esports from June to September 2026: the price before the start was right almost everywhere, and none of nine ideas for beating it held up after fees (the study). On a sports market the fee at 50¢ moves the break-even line from 50% to 51.25% of bets won. The fee on your price: fee calculator.
Read this with care
15 wallets over 30 days is a small group. These numbers show what this style paid, not that it wins. We don’t give betting advice. During the game instead: live betting fees. All styles side by side: Polymarket trader types and their fees.
Questions
Is the Polymarket fee different before the game?
No. The formula is the same before and during the game: 0.05 on sports and esports. One difference in our data: pre-game traders sold before the end on about 14% of their money, in-game traders on about 43%, and an instant sale pays the fee again.
What happens to my limit order when the game starts?
On sports markets Polymarket cancels open limit orders at the official start time, so a waiting order placed before the game does not carry into it.
How much do pre-game bettors pay in fees on Polymarket?
In 15 public wallets that bet mostly before the start, the typical one paid about 1.77% of the money it bet in fees over 30 days, $318.70 in total.