Meta tests Takes, a prediction app paying ‘cred’ not cash

The app began life in June as a points-based project called Arena, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The hit

Meta has started internal testing of a prediction market app with employees that pays “cred” points instead of money, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The app, now called Takes, rewards correct predictions with points & docks wrong ones, mirroring real-money platforms without the cash.

Why it matters

Big tech entering prediction markets, even with play money, signals how mainstream the category has become. It also lets Meta test demand & mechanics without triggering the gambling lawsuits now hitting Kalshi & Polymarket. Whether Meta later adds real-money contracts remains unclear, & that decision will shape how regulators & states treat the product.

The record

App name change	Arena (June 2026 reports) renamed Takes, according to people familiar with the matter cited by the WSJ
Testing group	Meta employees only, according to the WSJ report
Directive origin	CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly ordered a standalone points-based app in June
Meta’s comment	Declined to comment or give a launch timetable

What happens next

Watch for whether Meta confirms a public release date for Takes, & for the CFTC chair’s call to take state gambling lawsuits against Kalshi & Polymarket to the Supreme Court.

Sources: Meta tests prediction market app using ‘cred’ points instead of cash: WSJ

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