Prediction markets were the talk of the town after Super Bowl LX. Kalshi reported that its trading volume for the game surpassed $500m, while allegations of insider bets on halftime show markets also captured headlines.
ESPN’s David Purdum reported another eye-catching story: trading volume eclipsed $24m on Mark Wahlberg attending the game, which is more than the $15m that Kalshi users traded on the other 31 politicians and celebrities combined.
The catalyst for this activity was a fake story that circulated among sororities and fraternities. It subsequently went viral on social media that Mark Wahlberg’s daughter told people to bet on her father appearing at the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The actor’s oldest daughter, Ella, is enrolled at Clemson University and is a member of a sorority. The story went that she told someone in a fraternity that her dad would be at the big game and that they should place bets on the outcome. Ella herself shared a viral X post poking fun at the incident, as it appears the rumors were actually false:
Despite the big money backing Wahlberg’s appearance, it looks like anyone who backed Wahlberg turning up will lose money.
The market remains unresolved and currently has a 98% probability of “No.”
The probability of him appearing went as high as 89% on Kalshi in the days before Super Bowl LX. However, he didn’t appear during the broadcast and major media outlets didn’t report that he was there. The market remains unresolved and currently has a 98% probability of “No.”
