Polymarket Removes Bets on Cornell Sexual Assault Case Amid Controversy

Polymarket, a prediction market platform, recently allowed betting on whether any of the seven defendants in a civil lawsuit related to a sexual assault case at Cornell University would be charged with a felony. This lawsuit was filed by a former student who alleged gang rape by fraternity members.

Although no criminal charges had been filed initially, a local prosecutor announced on September 28 that the investigation would be reopened, coinciding with the launch of the betting market on September 30. The bet was not accessible to users in the U.S. version of the app, but it was easily discoverable.

After receiving significant attention on social media and inquiries from media outlets, Polymarket removed the bet from its platform. The company initially provided a vague statement about the role of markets in providing information but later declined to comment further. Despite the removal of this specific bet, other markets related to criminal cases remain available for bettors outside the U.S.