Seeing the Future: Prediction Markets on the Rise With Gen Z

Hosted by

Nick Schlemmer

Podcast Host & senior in the Professional Golf Management (PGM) program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Jack McFarlane

Podcast Host & Business Development Coordinator at Humareso

About this episode

Seeing the Future: Prediction Markets on the Rise With Gen Z

Hosts: Jack McFarlane and Nicholas Schlemmer

 

Summary

In this episode of The Play by Play, Jack and Nick break down the growing world of prediction markets and explore why platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have captured the attention of Gen Z. They discuss how these markets work, the appeal of their stock-market-like experience, and the combination of instant gratification, financial anxiety, and easy access that may be fueling their popularity. But with the excitement comes real financial risk. Jack and Nick dig into the potential downsides of speculative trading and gambling, including the danger of dipping into savings, chasing losses, and betting money that someone can’t afford to lose. Their takeaway: if you’re going to participate, understand the risk and keep it to money you can genuinely afford to lose.

Then the guys lighten things up with the debut of the Play by Play Prediction Market — using imaginary coins instead of real money to make their picks for the upcoming college football season. From Ohio State and Michigan to Utah, BYU, LSU, Miami, Clemson, Indiana, and Georgia, Jack and Nick put their predictions on the record for conference champions, playoff contenders, and the national championship.

It’s part financial trends, part Gen Z perspective, part college football preview — and 100% Play by Play.

 

Takeaways

  • What prediction markets are and how they work
  • The connection between Gen Z, financial anxiety, investing, and instant gratification
  • The financial and behavioral risks associated with gambling and speculative trading
  • Jack and Nick’s approach to responsible betting
  • The first-ever Play by Play Prediction Market
  • College football conference and national championship predictions
  • A football-themed final Quote of the Show

 

 

Thank you for joining the show today!  Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

 

Download Transcript

 

The HR Happy Hour Network is sponsored by Workhuman.
Nearly 9 in 10 HR leaders say they don’t have a strong leadership bench. Workhuman’s Future Leaders gives organizations a smarter way to build one. Future Leaders is the first talent intelligence solution to identify high-potential VP+ talent already within your workforce—up to four years before promotion. Using proprietary AI and real-time recognition data, it uncovers the leadership signals hidden in everyday work long before traditional succession planning can. It’s a smarter, data-driven approach to building tomorrow’s leaders. Learn more at Workhuman.com. Thanks for joining us.

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Published

August 21, 2026

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