Nikolas Sargeant
TL;DR
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A Wall Street Journal investigation found Polymarket paid mostly college-age creators to film fake bets on near-identical copies of its website.
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The prediction platform told the Journal it is committed to accurate, fair markets and will audit its promotional content.
Report Claims Influencers Used Simulated Bets to Promote Platform
Prediction market platform Polymarket allegedly paid social media creators to post videos featuring fake wagers and fabricated winnings on replica versions of its website, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation published Saturday.
The report examined 1,105 videos posted by 10 creators between December 2025 and mid-May 2026.
Approximately 70% of the videos featured betting activity, yet none of the wagers—representing roughly $1.9 million in displayed value—were actually placed on Polymarket's live platform.
The findings raise new questions about the company's marketing practices as it seeks broader regulatory acceptance and expansion into mainstream financial markets.
One example highlighted by the Journal involved college student George Makihara, who posted a January video claiming to have earned a $100,000 profit from a wager that President Donald Trump would mention "McDonald's" during the month.
According to the investigation, the clip relied on footage of Trump saying the word two months earlier, making the wager impossible to win under the market's actual rules. More than 50 real users reportedly placed the same bet in January, and all lost.
Across 118 videos reviewed by the newspaper, creators celebrated nearly $900,000 in purported winnings. However, the Journal found those same wagers would have collectively lost more than $166,000 if placed on the real platform.
Replica Websites Used to Simulate Trading Activity
To support the promotional campaign, Polymarket reportedly created replica versions of its website that closely resembled the live platform.
One example cited by the Journal was "poiymarket.com," a domain designed to appear similar to "polymarket.com" when the letter "i" is capitalized.
The imitation websites allegedly allowed creators to showcase fabricated trades, profits, and account balances without risking actual funds.
The strategy enabled influencers to present prediction market betting as highly profitable while avoiding the uncertainty of real trading outcomes.
The investigation further alleged that participating creators received monthly payments ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 and were instructed not to disclose their relationship with Polymarket.
Some creators reportedly updated their social media biographies to include references such as "@polymarket partner" only after the Journal began contacting them for comment.
According to the report, Polymarket worked alongside marketing contractor Virality to coordinate the influencer campaign and manage content distribution.
Campaign Focused on U.S. Audiences Despite Regulatory Restrictions
The promotional effort appears particularly notable because it allegedly targeted American users.
Polymarket has been prohibited from offering its primary prediction market services to U.S. customers since settling with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in 2022.
Although American users can technically access offshore prediction markets through virtual private networks (VPNs), the company is not authorized to directly serve the U.S. market.
The Journal reported that Virality compensated content creators only when at least 60% of their audience was located within the United States.
According to analytics platform Tubular, the campaign generated more than 140 million views across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Company Promises Review of Promotional Content
Responding to the allegations, Polymarket told the Journal that it remains committed to maintaining "accurate, fair, and transparent markets."
The company reportedly plans to conduct a comprehensive audit of promotional materials associated with its marketing campaigns.
The review comes at a critical time for Polymarket as it attempts to strengthen its standing with regulators and expand its market offerings.
The allegations emerge as Polymarket pushes to regain access to the U.S. market and broaden its business beyond political prediction contracts.
The company recently introduced markets tied to private-company valuations and upcoming initial public offerings (IPOs), signaling ambitions to become a more comprehensive forecasting platform.
At the same time, regulators continue to scrutinize prediction markets. Earlier this week, Kentucky filed a lawsuit against both Polymarket and rival Kalshi, alleging the companies are operating unlicensed sports betting services within the state.
The Wall Street Journal report follows another disclosure-related controversy involving Polymarket's marketing operations earlier this month.
On June 5, Politico reported that Polymarket Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Modabber used a personal PayPal account to compensate creators who promoted Polymarket odds on X without clearly labeling the posts as paid advertisements.
According to that report, Modabber distributed at least $350,000 directly to creators, while the account used for payments reportedly sent more than $2.5 million to over 800 individuals.
The latest allegations could further intensify scrutiny of the company's influencer marketing practices.
The Journal also reported that popular streamer Adin Ross maintains a multimillion-dollar partnership with Polymarket.
Additionally, investigators found that creators were paid to promote at least 19 videos discussing how users could potentially profit from inside information when trading on prediction markets.
Polymarket responded by stating that its rules explicitly prohibit trading based on stolen, confidential, or non-public information.
Despite the company's assurances, the latest revelations are likely to intensify questions about compliance, transparency, and marketing ethics as the prediction market industry continues to expand.
