Of course Meta thinks gambling is the future

Skip to main contentOn The Vergecast: Polymarket for your Facebook, Apple’s big price hikes, Cannes Lions, and more.On The Vergecast: Polymarket for your Facebook, Apple’s big price hikes, Cannes Lions, and more.by David PierceJun 26, 2026, 2:16 PM UTCDavid Pierce is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.Meta is, by and large, a company built on other companies’ ideas. It has almost perfected the strategy: wait for a new platform or social mechanic to take off, then either buy or clone it, put it next to Meta’s unmatched user base and advertising engine, and watch the money pile up. Well, the next big thing appears to be turning everything into gambling. So why wouldn’t Meta make a Polymarket?On this episode of The Vergecast, David and Nilay discuss the reported prediction market app being built inside Meta, plus the company’s onslaught of other news this week — and its massive, apparently increasing morale problems. Nilay’s at Cannes Lions in France this week, where Meta’s advertising prowess is on full display, and yet it also feels like Meta is in crisis. So which is it? And what is your Facebook feed about to become?After that, the hosts dive into the news of Apple’s price hikes and try to figure out just how much RAMageddon is going to change the gadget market. Then it’s time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, the strange case of the movie Artificial, really expensive home theater systems, and more.In case you missed it this week: We also reviewed the Steam Machine, made the case for smart glasses, answered your smart home questions, and explored the weird world of AI training data. And we want to hear all your thoughts about all of it! Call the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11, send us an email at vergecast@theverge.com, and tell us everything that’s on your mind. And make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.David PierceThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)