Polymarket apologizes for allowing wagers on fate of U.S. pilots downed in Iran

Prediction market platform Polymarket issued an apology for allowing users to place bets on the fate of American pilots aboard a U.S. fighter jet downed over Iran.

A two-seater F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down on Friday, according to a U.S. official. One crew member was rescued, but the other remains missing.

In a since-deleted market, users were able to wager on when the pilots might be rescued, with the majority predicting a Saturday rescue.

“US confirms pilots rescued by…?” the market read.

Rep. Seth Moulton, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, slammed the market in a post on X, noting that bets were being placed as a dangerous search and rescue operation was ongoing in Iran.

“They could be your neighbor, a friend, a family member,” the Democrat from Massachusetts wrote. “And people are betting on whether or not they’ll be saved.”

“This is DISGUSTING,” he added.

In a reply to Moulton’s X post, Polymarket apologized and said it took the market down.

“We took this market down immediately as it does not meet our integrity standards,” the company wrote. “It should not have been posted, and we are investigating how this slipped through our internal safeguards.”

Moulton replied to Polymarket’s apology, saying the company’s “integrity standards are severely lacking” and pointing to other war-related bets still active on the platform.

“Taking down this particular bet after I called it out can only be the first step, @Polymarket,” he wrote. “There are still 219 war bets active on your platform. Remove these immediately.”

Prediction market platforms, where users can place bets on everything from wars and elections to pop culture and sporting events, have recently come under congressional scrutiny as their popularity has soared.

Last month, lawmakers introduced a Senate bill that would ban prediction markets from accepting or listing transactions related to sports events and casino-style games.

In recent weeks, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has also pledged to introduce legislation to ban bets tied to government actions, citing wagers made on the ongoing war.

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