10/20/2026 03:55:00
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10/20 15:54 CDT Polymarket removes contract allowing users to wager on fate of
Cornell students accused of rape
Polymarket removes contract allowing users to wager on fate of Cornell students
accused of rape
By JAY COHEN
AP Sports Writer
Polymarket has removed a contract from its prediction market platform that
allowed users to wager on whether any of the seven men accused of raping a
Cornell student in 2024 will be charged with a felony sex crime.
The market was made available on Sept. 30 and was slated to close on Jan. 31.
It had more than $450,000 in volume before it was taken off Polymarket's
international platform. The company's U.S. exchange is regulated by the U.S.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which bans trading related to "activity
that is unlawful under Federal or State law."
"Our primary goal at Polymarket is to bring objective, data-driven insight to
the most important questions of our time," a Polymarket spokesperson said
Tuesday. "This market addressed whether the government would take action --- a
process that deserves scrutiny, particularly in a case of such serious concern.
That said, we believe in the wisdom of crowds, have heard them loud and clear,
and removed the market."
Front Office Sports was the first to report on the contract.
Some outcry over the Polymarket contract has been aimed at its celebrity
promoters. Philadelphia 76ers star LeBron James has an endorsement deal with
Polymarket, and he recently appeared in a star-studded commercial that also
included cameos by Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Sue Bird and several celebrities.
Messages were left by the AP on Tuesday with representatives for James, Jeter,
Manning and Bird.
Polymarket also has partnership agreements with the NHL, Major League Baseball,
Major League Soccer, the UFC and ATP Tour. Messages were left by the AP seeking
comment from each organization.
A spokesman for Spike Lee, who also appeared in the Polymarket commercial with
James, said the director had no comment. Messages also were left with
representatives for actors Craig Robinson, John Leguizamo and Alexandra
Daddario --- who were also part of the commercial with James.
A woman identified in court documents by the pseudonym Jane Doe filed a lawsuit
last month alleging that seven fraternity members sexually assaulted or
exploited her in October 2024 and that Cornell mishandled her complaints. All
of those men have denied her allegations, saying either that their interactions
were consensual or that they weren't involved.
Online critics characterized the Polymarket contract as degrading and
questioned why celebrity ambassadors would associate themselves with the
company. An online petition singled out James, Manning, Daddario and model
Emily Ratajkowski while calling on other famous endorsers to cut ties with the
company.
Prediction markets provide an opportunity to trade on the result of future
events. Sports account for a major portion of the volume generated by the array
of typically yes-or-no question, depending on the platform.
When a U.S. Army sergeant was indicted earlier this year over bets on the
capture of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro, he was trading on Polymarket's
international platform. The Associated Press reported in April that 50 brand
new accounts on Polymarket's international platform placed substantial bets on
a U.S.-Iran ceasefire in the hours, even minutes, before President Donald Trump
announced a ceasefire on social media, raising concerns of insider trading.
Polymarket had an active market on its international platform on Tuesday that
allowed customers to trade on whether Cornell president Michael Kotlikoff will
be out by Oct. 31. It had more than $10,700 in volume.
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