Prediction sites are under scrutiny for offering markets on the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Platforms like Polymarket allow users to bet on all aspects of the war, including timelines for a ceasefire, territory losses, and possible nuclear escalation. Civic activist Serhiy Stenreko condemned people who are turning the tragic conflict into a “gambling game.”
recent accidental editing of this map led to some people losing their bets
The basis for the markets is a frontline map from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), but a recent accidental editing of this map led to some people losing their bets. One user claimed he was the victim of fraud because of this, but some were less than sympathetic. One comment in response to the complaint went viral when an X user said: “Guy gambling on real people dying in a war but thinks being tricked is unethical.”
It’s not just the conflict in Ukraine that Polymarket users can bet on. The ongoing tensions between the US and Venezuela are another hot topic, as is people betting on who will be named on the Jeffrey Epstein list. The latter has about $795,000 in monthly wager volume.
