Prediction markets have been a hot topic around the world. For those who live under a rock, prediction markets are essentially sites which allow people to bet against each other on almost anything. The two most popular are Polymarket and Kalashi: In February 2026, over 18 billion dollars went through these two sites, and it shows no sign of slowing down. That is likely why an anonymous Mills student who goes by the alias POL4R FOIL5 created Vikalshi, which is basically a prediction market for Mills High School. This site allows students to bet on anything that can happen in school, including teacher action, school sports results, fire alarms and much more.
Vikalshi has caused much controversy among the student body as the effects of betting at such an impressionable age have been debated. Despite this,, Vikalshi remains extremely popular. One user, Piers Norton (12) said, “I think it’s the greatest site out of any site. It’s a good thing for the Mills community.”
Many feel similar to Norton, as the website has become one of the most trafficked sites on the school Wi-Fi. An estimated 10 million dollars have flowed through the site since its start in January of 2026. Another Mills student, Dashan Liu (12), also was extremely supportive of the site, saying, “I really enjoy betting because it offers a great thrill in comparison to how boring school is.”
There is a distinction to be made in that Vikalshi is a prediction market, which differs from traditional betting markets in the fact that you are not betting against the house, but rather against other people. For example, if you bet $50, someone would have to match you on the opposite side for that bet to go through. This allows students to host bets on extremely obscure things which a normal betting app would never even imagine hosting such as a bet if the fire alarm would go off during a certain week.
For Liu, his favorite bet was “when I placed a bet on when the next fire alarm would go off. The secret was I actually set the fire alarm off myself by vaping in the bathroom. It was free money.” This is one of the main concerns with prediction markets: the fact that you can bet on an event you can cause yourself. However, this concern has not stopped the site from becoming a sensation.
Massive amounts of money are being bet on school events. Norton said, “I’ve won 10 dollars and lost my 300,000 dollars [on the site].” Although he has lost so much money, he still supports the site, saying, “This is very great for students because it’s good to have a platform to express our thoughts.”
Liu has been more successful on the site as he has cashed out big. Along with his successful fire alarm bet, he also mentioned, “The most I’ve won was over $300,000 when I hit a crazy parlay. I successfully predicted when the next student would get expelled, and how many people would fail the next AP Calculus test.” There are always winners and losers in betting, but it has become a serious business for some at Mills.
While some may believe Vikalshi to be a site which promotes poor fiscal responsibility, its users seem to disagree. Even if they lose money, they still support the site as it allows them to bring some excitement into the school day.
