Polymarket takes down market on missing US pilot after backlash

Polymarket removed a market tied to the fate of a missing US service member after mounting backlash, saying the listing violated its “integrity standards.”

The controversy erupted after a prediction market appeared asking whether US authorities would confirm the rescue of a pilot reportedly shot down over Iran, with most users (over 60%) betting that they wouldn’t be rescued until Saturday.

US Representative Seth Moulton condemned the market, calling it “disgusting” and expressing concerns over people speculating on the fate of a potentially injured service member. “They could be your neighbor, a friend, a family member. And people are betting on whether or not they’ll be saved,” Moulton wrote.

Representative criticizes Polymarket market. Source: Seth Moulton

In response, Polymarket said it had taken the market down immediately, adding that it should not have been listed and that the company is reviewing how it passed internal safeguards. The platform did not provide further detail on what specific rule had been breached.

Related: Polymarket expands into equities and commodities with Pyth price feeds

Polymarket under scrutiny over rules

While Polymarket said it took the market down because it did not meet its integrity standards, the platform did not specify which rule had been violated, prompting further scrutiny from users.

“I’m looking at the “Market Integrity” page, and I checked the TOS, and I don’t see which prohibition is relevant here,” Jack Newsham, a correspondent on Business Insider’s national desk, wrote on X.

As Cointelegraph reported, Polymarket has seen a sharp rise in fees and revenue after expanding its fee model on March 30, with daily fees jumping from about $363,000 to over $1 million and revenue nearing $1 million at its peak. The increase follows broader taker fees across categories like finance, politics and tech, as the platform ramps up monetization.

Related: Crypto VC Paradigm is developing a prediction market terminal: Fortune

Insider trading concerns rise on prediction markets

There have also been growing concerns about insider trading on prediction markets. Last month, it was reported that a group of traders made about $1 million by correctly betting on the timing of US strikes on Iran, with some placing trades just hours before the attacks. The activity, which involved newly created wallets focused almost entirely on strike-related bets, raised insider trading suspicions.

To address these concerns, at least 42 Democratic lawmakers have urged the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Office of Government Ethics to warn federal employees against using non-public information to trade on prediction markets.

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