A GROUP of bettors linked to the crypto-based platform Polymarket allegedly threatened a journalist to alter his reporting on an Iranian missile strike in Israel, in a shocking example of how online betting on wars is turning human conflict into a marketplace, with financial interests attempting to manipulate independent journalism.
Emanuel Fabian, a military correspondent for The Times of Israel, said he was targeted after publishing a report on 10 March about a ballistic missile that struck near Beit Shemesh without causing injuries.
According to Fabian, individuals who had placed bets on Polymarket began contacting him shortly after publication, urging him to change his report to state that the missile had been intercepted. Under the platform’s betting rules, an intercepted strike would not qualify as a successful attack, potentially affecting the outcome of wagers tied to the event.
Fabian said he received multiple messages via WhatsApp, email, and other platforms, some of which included threats and references to his personal life. “You made a fatal mistake and you’d better respond to us,” one message read, escalating into a countdown: “I expect a response from you within 9 minutes … We will not give up on sums [of money] like these … One minute remains.” In some instances, individuals allegedly attempted to bribe him to amend his reporting, while others circulated fabricated messages falsely claiming he had acknowledged an error.
The dispute is linked to a Polymarket contract that attracted millions of dollars in wagers on whether Iran would carry out a strike on Israel on that specific date. Fabian maintained that his report was accurate, citing information from Israeli authorities and video evidence showing the impact of the missile.
The journalist reported the threats to Israeli police and continues to cover the conflict. In response, Polymarket condemned the harassment, stating that such behaviour violates its terms of service and undermines both independent journalism and the integrity of prediction markets.
Sources: New York Post/Polymarket/X @Emanuel Fabian
