Polymarket Betting Triggers Harassment Incident, Journalist Receives Death Threats Over Missile Report

According to reports, a journalist covering the conflict situation between Israel, the US, and Iran has received death threats related to his reporting. The incident is linked to a Polymarket prediction market contract involving over $14 million in bets.

Emanuel Fabian, a military reporter for The Times of Israel, stated that after he reported on March 10th that Iranian missiles landed in an open area near Beit Shemesh, Israel, some users who had placed bets on Polymarket began contacting him, attempting to influence the content of his report.

The relevant prediction market contract is titled "Iran strikes Israel on…?" The rules stipulate that if Iran conducts a missile, drone, or airstrike on Israeli territory that day, the contract result is "Yes." However, the contract also specifies that if the attack is intercepted, it does not count towards the result.

Fabian claimed he subsequently received dozens of messages via email, social media, and instant messaging apps. These included a threat sent by a user on WhatsApp stating they would "end his life" if he did not modify the report. Some also demanded he change the report to state that "the missiles were intercepted."

Fabian stated he refused to alter the report as the information came from Israeli rescue services and military sources. He has now filed a police report and provided the relevant threat information to investigators.

The incident has once again drawn regulatory attention. Some lawmakers in Washington, D.C., USA, are pushing for legislation aimed at banning prediction market trades related to war, death, or assassination.