Polymarket pays influencers for staged winning videos targeting U.S. bettors

A Wall Street Journal investigation examined 1,105 videos from ten content creators promoted by Polymarket. The review found that roughly $1.9 million in wagers shown in the clips were entirely fabricated, and the purported wins—about $900,000 in total—were staged on counterfeit copies of the prediction‑market site (including a misspelled domain such as poiymarket.com).

Creators were paid between $2,000 and $3,000 per month to film the videos, with the marketing firm Virality managing a network of “clippers” who amplified the content. The campaign focused on U.S. audiences despite Polymarket being barred from U.S. customers after a 2022 settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The clips amassed more than 140 million views across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

Polymarket responded that it will audit its promotional material and reiterated its commitment to market transparency, while regulators in the United States and elsewhere are closely scrutinizing the practice.