Polymarket Faces Questions Over Alleged Fake Betting Promotion Campaign

Prediction market platform Polymarket is facing criticism after a report claimed the company paid social media creators to post videos showing fake bets and fabricated winnings on replica versions of its website.

According to the investigation, more than 1,100 videos posted between late 2025 and May 2026 featured staged betting activity worth nearly $1.9 million. The report said none of the displayed wagers were real. In several clips, creators appeared to celebrate major wins that would have actually resulted in losses if placed on the real platform.

One video showed college student George Makihara claiming a $100,000 payout tied to a Donald Trump prediction market. Investigators later found the clip used old footage and that real users who placed the same bet lost money.

Fake Betting Videos Targeted U.S. Users

The report also claimed Polymarket created nearly identical websites, including domains with slight spelling changes, to film the promotional content. Creators were reportedly paid monthly and instructed not to publicly disclose sponsorship deals.

The campaign allegedly focused on U.S. audiences even though Polymarket has faced restrictions in the American market since its 2022 settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Polymarket responded by saying it supports fair and transparent markets and plans to review its promotional campaigns through a broader internal audit.