Updated
Updated · CoinDesk · Jul 8
Polymarket Mounts U.S. Return After 4-Year Ban, Signing MLB and CNN Deals
Updated
Updated · CoinDesk · Jul 8

Polymarket Mounts U.S. Return After 4-Year Ban, Signing MLB and CNN Deals

3 articles · Updated · CoinDesk · Jul 8

Summary

  • Polymarket has escalated its U.S. comeback with influencer marketing and partnership agreements with major sports teams, Major League Baseball, CNBC and CNN, according to AP.
  • The push is meant to persuade regulators, policymakers and users that the platform can operate credibly after restarting its U.S. rehabilitation in December with a CFTC-supervised real-money sports app.
  • 1.7 million X followers give Polymarket a far larger social-media base than rival Kalshi's 431,400, but the campaign follows a Wall Street Journal report that it used paid influencers without adequate sponsorship disclosures.
  • A $1.4 million CFTC settlement in 2022 forced Polymarket to stop serving U.S. customers, and a later federal probe into possible continued U.S. access was dropped without charges seven months after a change in administration.

Insights

Can a regulated U.S. platform build trust while its offshore twin operates on insider bets and morally questionable wagers?
With most users losing money to bots, is the 'wisdom of the crowd' just a myth in these new prediction markets?
As prediction markets financialize every event, are we seeing the future more clearly or just building a sophisticated global casino?