NEW YORK — Prediction market platform Polymarket paid content creators to produce videos depicting fabricated bets and exaggerated financial gains, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation published this week, prompting the company to launch a review of its promotional practices.
The investigation found that creators were paid to film themselves placing bets and celebrating winnings on websites designed to closely resemble Polymarket’s platform, rather than on the company’s live market. The Journal reported that it reviewed more than 1,100 videos posted between late 2025 and mid-2026 and interviewed creators who participated in the campaign.
According to the report, many of the videos portrayed substantial profits from prediction-market wagers that were never actually placed. In 118 videos reviewed by the newspaper, creators appeared to celebrate winnings totaling nearly $900,000. The Journal reported that the same wagers would have collectively resulted in losses if they had been made on real markets.
The newspaper said Polymarket and a marketing contractor provided guidance to creators and, in some cases, instructed them not to prominently disclose their paid relationship with the company. Several creators told the Journal they received monthly payments to produce the content.
The videos were distributed across social-media platforms including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, where they accumulated millions of views, according to the investigation. Some clips appeared to show users making large bets on political events, economic developments and other news-driven outcomes.
Polymarket said it is committed to transparency and market integrity. In a statement cited by multiple media outlets, the company said it plans to conduct an audit of its promotional content. “We are committed to maintaining accurate, fair, and transparent markets,” the company said.
A former creator who worked with the platform defended the videos in comments reported by the Journal, saying, “We’re depicting what actually happens.”
The allegations come amid increased scrutiny of prediction-market operators and their marketing practices. Polymarket, which operates a crypto-based prediction market, has faced regulatory attention in several jurisdictions and has sought to expand its audience through partnerships and social-media campaigns.
Following inquiries from journalists, some creators removed the videos, while Polymarket took down several websites that had been used to simulate betting activity, according to the Journal’s findings. The company said it is reviewing the matter, and details of any additional actions remain unclear.
