Polymarket Paid Creators for Deceptive Bet Videos, Report Says
4 verified4 unconfirmed
A Wall Street Journal investigation reported that Polymarket paid online creators to post deceptive videos showing fake bets and winnings on the prediction market. The Journal analyzed over 1,100 videos and reviewed instructional materials Polymarket provided to creators. Many videos were filmed on near-copies of the Polymarket website, featuring trades and winnings that were not real. Creators did not disclose in their videos that they had been paid by Polymarket, though some added “@polymarket partner” to their bios after journalists began inquiries. Polymarket stated it is committed to maintaining accurate, fair, and transparent markets and plans to audit its promotional content. Since the investigation began, many creators have removed the videos from their accounts.
What’s verified
Polymarket paid online creators to post deceptive videos showing fake bets and winnings.
The Wall Street Journal analyzed over 1,100 such videos and reviewed instructional materials provided by Polymarket.
Creators did not disclose in their videos that they were paid by Polymarket.
Many videos were filmed on copycat versions of the Polymarket website.
Not yet confirmed
The Verge reported that the videos showed creators winning nearly $900,000 on bets that would have lost $166,000; TechCrunch did not include these specific dollar amounts.
The Verge reported that some videos used the fake URL “poiymarket.com”; TechCrunch described “near-perfect copies” without naming a specific site.
TechCrunch featured a quote from creator Razeen Khan comparing the practice to fast-food commercials; this quote does not appear in The Verge.
TechCrunch reported Polymarket’s plan to conduct an audit of its promotional content; The Verge did not mention this.
Key figures
Razeen Khan (college student and creator who worked with Polymarket)
Sources: TechCrunch, The Verge
