How it works

A pool, not a bookmaker.

Every stake on every outcome of a market goes into one pool. When the market resolves, the people who backed the winning outcome get their stake back, plus a pro-rata share of the losing side, minus a small fee. Open 24/7, settled in FCFA.

The flow

From question to payout.

Pick a market

Browse live questions across football, entertainment, commodities, headlines, and culture. Each market lists its outcomes, the current share of the pool on each, the resolution source, and the deadline.

Stake on an outcome

Fund your wallet in FCFA with Mobile Money or a card. Pick the outcome you think will win, set a stake (in whole multiples of the market's share cost, by default ₣ 100), and confirm. Your stake joins that outcome's pool.

Wait for resolution

After the deadline, Pario resolves the market using the named source. If you backed the winning outcome, your stake comes back along with your pro-rata share of the losing pool, minus the market's fee on profit. If you lost, your stake stays in the pool.

Anatomy

What a market looks like.

Every market on Pario has the same shape. Once you read one, you can read all of them.

Football Closes Jun 2026

Will Mamelodi Sundowns win the CAF Champions League 2026?

Yes48%

No52%

Pool ₣ 820K Source: CAF official

Category and deadline

Shows what kind of question this is and when it stops accepting bets. Both are set on listing and not moved without notice.

The question

Phrased so each outcome has a clear answer. No interpretation games at resolution. Categorical markets list each named outcome instead of just Yes and No.

Percentages are pool share

48% on Yes means 48% of the money in this market is on Yes. It is not an odds line Pario sets, it is what other bettors have actually staked so far.

Total pool

The money currently staked across all outcomes, in FCFA. Bigger pool means a bigger losing side to split if you win, and more meaningful percentages.

Resolution source

The named source that will decide the outcome. The source is public before you bet, not after. If the source is silent or ambiguous, Pario resolves in good faith using public evidence and the market rules.

A worked example

A ₣ 2,000 bet on a winning outcome.

Imagine a binary market: "Will the home team win on Saturday?" Just before the deadline, the pool stands at ₣ 10,000 on Yes and ₣ 30,000 on No. You stake ₣ 2,000 on Yes.

You add ₣ 2,000 to Yes.

Yes pool grows to ₣ 12,000. Your bet is 2,000 / 12,000 = 16.7% of the winning side, if Yes wins.

The home team wins.

Losing (No) pool is ₣ 30,000. Pario takes the 5% market fee on the profit pool, ₣ 1,500. The amount split among winners is ₣ 28,500. Your share at 16.7% is ≈ ₣ 4,761.

Or the home team loses.

No wins. Your Yes bet pays nothing, your ₣ 2,000 stake stays in the pool and is shared among the winners. The most you could have lost is exactly your stake.

Final payouts depend on how the pool ends up, which is not knowable in advance. The numbers in this example use the pool sizes at one moment. If more money lands on Yes before the deadline, your share of the losing pool gets smaller. If more lands on No, your share gets bigger.

Why this is different

A market, not a bookmaker.

A pool, not a bookmaker

There are no fixed odds and no house counterparty. Every stake on every outcome goes into one pool. Winners split the losing side. Pario takes a small fee on profit only.

No fee on your stake

You never pay a fee on your stake, on a losing bet, or on a refunded bet. The 5% fee applies only to the profit portion of a winning bet.

Everything is visible

Pool sizes, the percentage on each outcome, the deadline, the resolution source, and the rules are all on the market page before you stake. Nothing about how a market settles is a surprise.

Open 24/7

Markets run around the clock. You can place a bet at three in the morning, on a public holiday, or on a quiet Sunday afternoon. The only cut-off is each market's own deadline.

Glossary

The words you will see.

Outcome: One of the answers a market can resolve to. Binary markets have two (Yes, No). Categorical markets have several (for example, a list of teams or candidates).
Pool: The total amount staked on a market. Each outcome has its own sub-pool. When the market resolves, winners share the losing sub-pool.
Stake: The amount you put on an outcome. Stakes are in FCFA and must be whole multiples of the market's share cost.
Share cost: The minimum stake on a market, and the unit stakes are sold in. The default is ₣ 100, but the value shown on the market page is the one that applies.
Deadline: The moment after which the market stops accepting new bets and waits for the underlying event. Shown on every market page.
Resolution: The moment the market is settled, the winning outcome is declared, and payouts are credited to winners' wallets.
Resolution source: The named, public reference (a league site, an official chart, an exchange print, a regulator filing) that decides the outcome. Listed before you bet.
Voided market: A market that cannot be resolved fairly (for example, the event was cancelled). Every stake is refunded in full, no fee.

FAQ

Quick questions, straight answers.

How exactly is a payout calculated?

When a market resolves, the losing pool is reduced by the market's fee percentage (5% by default). Each winning bet gets its stake back, plus its pro-rata share of the reduced losing pool. Pro-rata means: if your bet is 10% of the winning pool, you get 10% of the losing pool (after fee). Bigger stake on the winning side, bigger share.

Is Pario gambling?

Pario is a prediction market. You stake on the outcome of real-world events using a pari-mutuel pool. Mechanically it sits between trading and betting. Either way, only stake money you can afford to lose, and follow the guidance on our responsible trading page.

Why is the percentage on an outcome changing as I watch?

The percentage shown next to each outcome is that outcome's share of the current pool. When someone else places a bet, the pool moves, and the percentages move with it. It is a live read of what bettors are doing, not an odds line Pario sets.

Can I cancel or sell my bet before the market resolves?

No. Once a bet is placed it is locked in the pool until the market resolves. There is no cancel, no edit, no sell, no early cash-out. Place the bet you want to keep.

What if a market is unclear at resolution?

Every market names a resolution source upfront. If that source is silent, delayed, or ambiguous, Pario resolves in good faith using public evidence and the market rules. If a fair outcome is not possible, the market is voided and every stake is refunded in full, no fee.

How fast do payouts arrive?

As soon as a market resolves, payouts are credited to winners' Pario wallets. From there you can leave the funds in your wallet for the next bet, or withdraw to Mobile Money or your card. Withdrawal speed depends on the payment partner.

What does it cost?

Each market shows its fee on the market page. The default is 5%, charged on the profit portion of a winning bet only. You never pay a fee on your stake, on a losing bet, or on a refunded bet. Payment partners may charge their own deposit or withdrawal fees, which they show you at the time.

What if I lose my password?

Use the "Forgot password" link on the sign-in screen, you will get a reset email. If you also lost access to your email, contact support and we will verify your identity through our standard process.

Ready to take a side?

Open an account, fund your wallet, and place your first bet before the next outcome lands.

Browse markets