The prediction market Polymarket has taken down a page allowing users to bet on the outcome of the “Cornell Seven” gang rape allegations, a reversal that followed public criticism from advocates for survivors’ rights.
On Sept. 30, Polymarket began allowing traders to predict whether the seven men accused in the Cornell University fraternity case would be criminally charged with a felony sex crime by January 2027. By Monday, traders had placed more than $450,000 in bets on the outcome, with more than 70% of users predicting there would not be charges.
In a statement to Front Office Sports, a publication focused on sports news, Polymarket initially defended the page, arguing that “markets bring better, unbiased information about important events, in contrast to the disinformation we’re all drowning in, which too often leaves the public misled and disillusioned to the point of apathy.”
However, after Front Office Sports published a story and The Washington Sun requested comment, Polymarket reversed itself and removed the bet as an option.
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Polymarket declined to comment when asked to explain why it reversed course.
The decision reflects the mounting scrutiny facing the prediction market industry. Polymarket has largely avoided regulatory scrutiny along with other online gambling companies, and it has hired the president’s son Donald Trump Jr. as a strategic adviser as part of a broader Washington lobbying blitz.
However, congressional officials in both parties expressed concern about the “Cornell Seven” betting page in interviews with The Washington Sun.
“Prediction markets have existed for centuries, and there is an underlying logic to them. They proved more accurate in 2024 than the presidential polling,” said Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pennsylvania), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. “However, like with any market, there also needs to be sensible regulation.”
Similarly, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said the option reflected that online gambling has gone too far.
“A proper country recognized the dangers of gambling,” Roy said. “Our nation today is embracing it and fails to realize they’re not watching the car wreck — they’re in it.”
Kalshi, Polymarket’s main competitor, said in a statement that it would not have allowed bets on the outcome of the case. It has banned gambling on missile strikes, kidnappings, deaths and rocket explosions.
It is unlikely that prediction markets will face much federal scrutiny anytime soon. The Federal Trade Commission recently began probing whether online sports gambling companies such as FanDuel and DraftKings promote deceptive or misleading advertisements. That probe is not expected to include the prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket, which have been regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, led by a Trump appointee largely seen as supportive of industry.
Opponents of online gambling say the trading page on Cornell reflects the need for the companies to find ever more outlandish topics for bets to keep users entertained and on their platforms.
“You literally can gamble on anything right now, on the most perverse thing you can imagine,” said Les Bernal, the national director of Stop Predatory Gambling. “They’re constantly trying to keep people engaged constantly — every minute, every few seconds, so they continue to wager on these platforms.”
The Cornell trading page was also condemned by I Have the Right To, an advocacy group for survivors of sexual assault.
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