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Israel Indicts Reservist and Civilian Over Alleged Insider Bets on Polymarket

The charges follow a joint probe by Shin Bet, the Defense Ministry security unit and Israel Police under a court gag order.

Overview

  • Prosecutors filed indictments in Tel Aviv accusing the pair of severe security offenses, bribery and obstruction of justice, with both defendants held in custody.
  • The case alleges the reservist accessed classified operational information and shared it with a civilian who used it to place wagers on the U.S.-based prediction market Polymarket.
  • The IDF says the incident caused no operational damage but calls it a grave ethical breach and has tightened procedures across units to prevent recurrences.
  • Authorities say most details remain under a publication ban, emphasize the defendants are not senior defense officials, and warn that betting on secret information poses real security risks.
  • Investigators began probing after unusually accurate June 2025 bets tied to Israeli actions against Iran reportedly netted about $150,000, intensifying scrutiny of decentralized prediction markets.