A Wall Street Journal investigation found that Polymarket paid social media creators to fabricate betting wins. The scheme involved fake websites, staged celebrations, and undisclosed payments.
Creator George Makihara claimed a $100,000 win on a bet that Trump would say “McDonald’s” in January 2026. Trump never mentioned the company, and the bet did not exist. Real accounts actually lost money.
Across 1,105 videos from ten creators since December 2025, about 70% showed fabricated bets totaling nearly $1.9 million, with fake winnings of around $900,000. Meanwhile, the creators’ actual bets lost over $166,000.
Polymarket worked with marketing firm Virality, paying each creator $2,000 to $3,000 per month, with instructions to hide the relationship. The content amassed 140 million views, targeting U.S. users, raising legal questions about advertising offshore gambling.
After the report, Polymarket announced plans to audit its promotional strategies to regain trust.