The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →A prediction market settles according to the specific contract’s rules—not simply the event’s headline or what seems to have happened. To assess a result, find the contract’s exact criterion, designated source, determination timing and edge-case rules; compare them with that source; then use the venue’s documented route before any deadline. A pending market, a proposed result and a finalized result are different situations, with different options.
What determines a contract’s result?
The market title is a label, not the complete settlement test. Polymarket’s Help Center puts it this way: “The market title describes the market, but the rules define how it should be resolved.” Kalshi likewise directs traders to the individual contract’s terms for the determination rules, information used and verification source. Read the full rules for the specific contract, including any “Rules” or “Important Information” section, rather than relying on the title or a general description.
Identify four things before judging an outcome:
- The criterion: the precise condition that makes the contract resolve to a particular outcome.
- The controlling source: the agency, record, data feed or other source the contract names. A different news report or app may not control.
- The timing: any determination date, time window or condition that must occur before the market can be decided.
- Edge cases: provisions for corrections, cancellations, missing data, ties or other contingencies, if the contract specifies them.
Then compare the contract’s words with the designated source’s relevant record. The event appearing to be over, or a result being widely reported, does not by itself establish that the contract’s stated test has been met.
Is the market pending, under challenge or finalized?
Pending or delayed
A market may remain open or undetermined after an event appears complete because the venue is waiting for its named source, a final release or a determination time specified by the contract. Kalshi says: “A market remaining open or undetermined is in no way an indication of the resolution criteria being met or not being met.” A delay alone does not show that the result is wrong.
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Proposed or challenged
On Polymarket International, a proposed resolution enters a defined challenge process. While that process is active, the proposed result is not yet the finalized outcome; check the market’s current state and the deadline shown by the venue.
Finalized
Finality depends on the venue’s rules. Polymarket says an outcome finalized through UMA is immutable. The Kalshi Help Center pages cited below do not establish a general appeal right for an already-finalized result. Do not assume a support request, settlement request or market-bug report is a way to reopen one.
How the documented processes differ
| Venue and scope | Who determines the outcome | Reader’s documented route | Final-result qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polymarket International | The UMA Optimistic Oracle resolves markets under their predefined rules. A challenged proposal goes to UMA token-holder voting. | A proposal can be challenged during the two-hour challenge period described by Polymarket’s 2026 Help Center. The market’s Rules section provides the dispute link. | Polymarket says a finalized UMA outcome is immutable. Its Help Center describes no later reversal route. |
| Kalshi | Kalshi determines outcomes using the contract terms and the specified source; its help pages direct pending-market questions to the markets team. | For an unsettled market, Kalshi documents “Request to Settle” and, for certain pending-market cases, in-app chat. It also has a private route to report market bugs or contradictory terms. | The reviewed Kalshi Help Center pages do not establish a general formal appeal from a finalized result. Consult the applicable contract and current rulebook rather than presuming an appeal is available. |
These are examples of separate venue processes, not interchangeable rules. The Polymarket details here apply to its International markets, not automatically to Polymarket US or another product. Procedures may depend on venue, product, jurisdiction and contract version.
What to do if a Polymarket International proposal appears wrong
Polymarket’s Help Center describes an optimistic-oracle process: a result is proposed with a bond, and a challenge can send it to a dispute process. The following time and bond figures are the Help Center’s 2026 descriptions, not guarantees for every market or future process.
- Open the specific market’s Rules section. Confirm the settlement criterion and use the dispute link there.
- Check the proposal and deadline. The described challenge period lasts two hours after a proposal. Anyone may challenge through the UMA dapp by posting a bond equal to the proposer’s bond, which the Help Center says is “usually $750.”
- Submit evidence tied to the contract. A challenge starts a 24–48-hour debate period. Contributors can add evidence in the debate channels identified by the Help Center. Make the case by showing the rule, the designated source record and the specific mismatch—not simply by arguing that another result seems fairer.
- Understand the possible outcomes and risk. The Help Center says UMA token holders vote, with the vote taking approximately 48 hours. Outcomes it describes include proposer wins, disputer wins, “Too Early” and “Unknown/50-50”; it describes the last as rarely used. A successful challenger gets their bond back plus half the proposer’s bond as a bounty; if the proposer wins, the challenger loses their bond. The proposer can also lose a bond for an unsuccessful or premature proposal.
If UMA finalizes the outcome, Polymarket says it cannot change or reverse it. Treat the challenge window as the point to act, not as an informal first step toward a later appeal.
What to do if a Kalshi market is pending or seems misapplied
For a market that should be determined
Kalshi documents a “Request to Settle” feature for a user who believes an unsettled market should be determined. On the market page, open the options menu, choose “Request to Settle,” select the relevant strike or strikes, and submit the request for market-team review. A request invites review; it is not a guarantee of a particular resolution.
For a standard market with no update
Kalshi’s 2026 Help Center says a determination can take from one hour to more than twelve hours after market closure, depending in part on when source-agency data arrives. Its FAQ says most markets settle within a few hours after the outcome is known, often about three hours, but source delays and contract-specific determination windows can extend that time. These are guidance ranges, not service-level guarantees; closure of trading and determination are not necessarily simultaneous.
For a standard single-outcome market still without an update more than about 12 hours after the event, Kalshi’s FAQ says to check the rules first. If the contract does not specify a later determination time and its criteria appear met, the FAQ directs users to contact in-app chat with the market title and source details so support can escalate the issue to the markets team. Kalshi also says: “Markets are not re-settled because an event appears to have concluded while trading was still available.”
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFor contradictory rules or a market defect
Kalshi separately documents a private market-bug reporting route for problems such as contradictory rules, broken variables or internal contract contradictions. Use that route to report a defect or ambiguity, not as a general appeal of an outcome.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to prepare a clear, evidence-led report
- Save the market URL, title, full rules and any visible version or date information.
- Write down the exact payout criterion, controlling source, determination window and any relevant edge-case provision.
- Open the specified source itself. Record its publication time, the relevant field or statement, and any later correction. Explain why a different source is not controlling if the contract names another one.
- Note whether the market is pending, has a proposal under challenge, or is finalized. Check the applicable deadline before submitting anything.
- Use the route that fits the issue: Polymarket’s UMA dispute link during its challenge window; Kalshi’s “Request to Settle” or the documented in-app-chat route for the specified pending-market situation; or Kalshi’s private bug-report procedure for a contract defect.
- Keep the submission focused: quote the rule, link or identify the controlling source record, state the mismatch, and ask for the specific review available under that venue’s current process.
These steps help make a dispute understandable; they do not guarantee that a challenge will succeed or that a venue can reverse a final result. For Kalshi, the regulatory document index listed Exchange Rulebook version 1.29, dated August 17, 2026, when checked on October 4, 2026. A finalized-result dispute should be assessed against the current applicable rulebook and contract; the help pages described here do not settle whether a formal appeal is available.
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