Polymarket Generated Nearly $2 Million in Fake Bets, WSJ Finds

Key Takeaways

• WSJ found Polymarket paid creators to post videos showing fake bets and winnings
• The investigation reviewed over 1,100 videos and found roughly $1.9 million in simulated wagers
• The report comes as Polymarket pushes for growth while facing increased scrutiny over its marketing practices

Videos of people winning thousands of dollars on Polymarket have become extremely popular across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. According to a Wall Street Journal investigation, many of those bets never happened. The report found that Polymarket paid creators to film videos using replica versions of its platform. This allowed them to display trades and winnings that were not real.

Also Read: FedEx Earnings: FDX Targets Recovery Ahead of June 23 Report

WSJ Investigation Puts Polymarket Fake Bets Under the Spotlight

After reviewing more than 1,100 videos posted between December 2025 and May 2026, the Journal said none of the roughly $1.9 million in wagers shown were genuine. One video cited by the Journal showed a creator celebrating a $100,000 win on a wager tied to a comment from President Donald Trump. The bet appeared successful in the clip. But the outcome shown had already been determined months earlier. The publication found that users who placed the same bet on the actual platform lost money.

The Journal reported that creators were paid between $2,000 and $3,000 a month and that some were initially told not to disclose their relationship with the company. Across dozens of videos, creators appeared to win nearly $900,000 from bets that would have collectively lost money on the real platform.

The campaign reached a large audience. Data reviewed by the Journal showed the videos generated more than 140 million views across major social media platforms.

Polymarket told the newspaper that it is committed to maintaining “accurate, fair, and transparent markets.” It plans to review its promotional content.

Also Read: Record Gold Purchases Keep Prices Above $4000 Support Despite Recent Selloff

The Report Comes as Polymarket Faces Growing Scrutiny

The findings arrive during a busy period for the company. Polymarket has been pushing to expand its presence in prediction markets while competing more directly with rival platform Kalshi.

The report also follows separate coverage from Politico earlier this month. It alleged that influencers promoting Polymarket-related content on X were paid without clearly labeling those posts as advertisements.

For a company built around forecasting real-world outcomes, WSJ’s findings raise questions about how some of its most popular marketing campaigns were presented to viewers.

Also Read: Fed Policy Shift Under Warsh: Scrapping Guidance With Inside Task Forces