The Journal said Polymarket paid creators, many of them college students, for undisclosed simulated trading videos and plans an audit of promotional content after the outlet's inquiries.
A Wall Street Journal investigation found that none of the roughly $1.9 million in bets displayed across more than 1,100 creator videos were real and said Polymarket paid dozens of creators, many of them college students, to post simulated trading and profit videos without disclosing compensation. The report said the campaign used a cloned site and social-media amplification to target U.S. users, adding to concerns that staged wagering or trading footage can mislead viewers about risk, credibility and performance. The Journal said Polymarket plans a comprehensive audit of promotional content after its inquiries.