Polymarket Paid Creators to Stage $1.9M in Fake Bets, WSJ Investigation Finds

According to a Wall Street Journal investigation published today (June 22), Polymarket paid social media creators to stage fake bets totaling $1.9 million to attract new users. The investigation reviewed 1,105 videos posted across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram; none of the trades were real. Creators were filming on near-identical copies of the Polymarket website and received $2,000 to $3,000 monthly, with the videos accumulating more than 140 million views.

The Journal alleged that some creators failed to disclose their paid relationship with Polymarket, potentially violating U.S. advertising regulations requiring influencer disclosure of sponsored partnerships. Many added disclosures only after the investigation went public. In response, Polymarket said it will conduct a review of its promotional content and marketing practices, though the company has not admitted wrongdoing.