US (AMERICANS FOR FINANCIAL REFORM) : This has gone too far. STOP BETTING ON HUMAN SUFFERING!

 

There are financial platforms right now turning global instability into a product you can bet on. War, political crises, and human suffering are being packaged as financial instruments known as prediction contracts and traded for profit, with real money on the line. Polymarket has built a business around this model. It allows users to place bets on outcomes tied to geopolitical conflict and government actions, turning real-world harm into a speculative asset class. This is not a harmless experiment. When financial incentives are tied to war and instability, it creates a system where profit depends on escalation, chaos, and human cost. It normalizes the idea that violence and conflict are just another market opportunity. It also makes it possible for insiders to make a quick buck by correctly predicting when military strikes or government action occurs. Lawmakers are starting to respond. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Jamie Raskin have introduced legislation that would ban gambling on war, elections, and core government functions. It recognizes something basic that regulators have ignored for too long: some things should not be financialized. Tell Polymarket to stop offering prediction contracts that allow people to bet on war and human suffering. Sign and Send Prediction markets like Polymarket operate in a gray area, pushing boundaries faster than regulators can respond. That has allowed them to test how far they can go, including building markets around crises that impact millions of people. I said it clearly when this legislation was introduced: Prediction markets have turned democracy itself into a casino by allowing gambling on American elections, government actions, or military intervention. That is exactly what platforms like Polymarket are doing. They are treating war, state violence, and democratic institutions into raw material for speculation and profit. The Merkley-Raskin bill shows there is a path forward. It draws a clear boundary around what should be off-limits and puts responsibility back where it belongs. But legislation takes time, and platforms are making decisions right now. That means public pressure matters. Companies respond when their business model becomes a liability instead of an asset. Send a message to Polymarket and demand they stop betting on war now. Let’s draw the line before this becomes the new normal. -Patrick. Patrick Woodall (he/him) Managing Director Americans for Financial Reform. Support the campaign

Paid for by Americans for Financial Reform