Gambling on War and Death: Call for Ban as Users Threaten Journalist
On March 10, an Iranian ballistic missile struck an open area outside Beit Shemesh, Israel, causing a large explosion but no reported casualties. Following this event, the journalist who reported on the incident began receiving persistent emails and messages demanding that the report be altered to state the projectile was an intercepted fragment rather than a missile warhead. These requests intensified into escalating threats and harassment, revealing a connection to individuals attempting to manipulate outcomes on the Polymarket prediction platform, where a significant sum was wagered on whether Iran would strike Israel. Despite Polymarket’s condemnation of the behavior and banning of involved accounts, the journalist reported the threats to the police, who are now investigating the matter.