Why Birches Health is Providing Support for Prediction Markets
Prediction markets have been dominating the headlines lately. As adoption has increased and trading volume has reached hundreds of millions of dollars each day, debates around their legality have continued across the country in courtrooms and media. Whether or not prediction markets will ultimately be allowed to offer sports event contracts in the long term, the platforms themselves seem here to stay, and Americans are risking real money on them every day.
Like any activity that combines money, predictions, uncertainty, and risk, we believe prediction markets should have safeguards and support resources available for the subset of users who may develop unhealthy behaviors related to financial trading. That’s where Birches Health can play a key role.
We have decided to provide support to the customers of a number of companies that have either expanded into offering prediction markets or are prediction market operators at their core.
Birches Health is a healthcare company. We are dedicated to building specialized, top-quality treatment programs for modern types of compulsive behaviors. These can take many forms, including around financial trading, gambling, sports betting, pornography, and video gaming. It is not Birches’ role to take a stance on the legality of prediction markets or the specific markets they can offer. Our focus is treating individuals who are struggling and helping them get better.
While Birches Health provides support for any of their users who may need it, we do not have financial relationships with these prediction markets companies. We are not paid by them, and we do not pay them. Maintaining clinical independence has been central to our approach since the company’s inception, and our only priority is the person seeking help.
Experts in treatment for compulsive trading
Since founding Birches Health three years ago, we have treated numerous individuals who have struggled to control their behaviors around financial trading. Whether it is day trading, cryptocurrency speculation, NFT purchases, or other newer forms of trading, we are proud to have helped our clients face these challenges.
Birches Health’s specially trained clinicians understand the specific cognitive and emotional loops that underpin compulsive trading: variable reinforcement schedules, loss-chasing, overconfidence bias, and dopamine spikes.
Prediction markets can add another layer of psychological complexity because they connect financial risk with social narratives and potential feelings of special insight. No matter the market, emotional investment can lead to overconfidence, blind spots, and increased financial exposure. For most users, this is manageable. For some, it’s not. Our clinical team knows this well, and uses that deep understanding to treat these types of behavioral health challenges using proven therapeutic methods.
Birches Health is uniquely positioned to support users of prediction markets and all other types of financial trading platforms. By integrating our services directly within them, we can help ensure that those who may begin to exhibit signs of unhealthy engagement get seamlessly connected with the specialized care they need. We have designed streamlined support pathways that are easily accessible and grounded in evidence-based clinical treatment. We also aim to educate all of our partners about behavioral risk signals and recommended escalation processes. Together, we can help normalize the fact that seeking help is not a failure of discipline or lack of financial intelligence, but a responsible act of self-awareness.
These partnerships acknowledge reality and embed support systems where they can make life-changing impacts. This drives our core mission and values as the leading provider of specialized care for these modern behavioral health challenges.
-Elliott Rapaport, CEO of Birches Health
