Polymarket funneled more than $350,000 to influencers on X to promote betting odds, and none of the posts carried any indication they were paid promotions. The payments, made over several months, have drawn attention to the line between organic content and advertising on the platform.
The size of the campaign
The influencer payments totaled at least $350,000, according to records reviewed by GFdaily. Polymarket, a prediction market platform where users wager on real-world events, paid popular accounts on X to post odds and encourage betting. The influencers didn't label their posts as sponsored content, and some appeared to be giving independent analysis.
It's a common tactic on social media — companies pay creators to talk up a product. But when it comes to gambling or betting services, regulators in many countries require clear disclosure. The Federal Trade Commission in the U.S., for example, expects influencers to use tags like #ad or #sponsored.
Why disclosure matters
Without a disclaimer, a follower might take a post as a genuine recommendation rather than a paid plug. That's particularly sensitive with betting odds, where the line between information and encouragement gets blurry. Polymarket lets users bet on everything from election outcomes to weather events. Some of those bets carry financial risk.
Influencers who promote such odds without saying they're being paid can mislead their audience. The practice also raises questions about whether the platform took steps to ensure compliance with advertising rules. X itself has policies requiring paid promotions to be labeled — though enforcement has been uneven since the company changed ownership.
What happens next
Polymarket hasn't publicly addressed the payments or the lack of disclosure. The influencers involved, who collectively reached millions of followers, haven't commented either. Regulators in the U.S. and Europe have been stepping up scrutiny of undisclosed influencer campaigns, especially in finance and gambling.
The question now is whether the lack of tags violates Federal Trade Commission guidelines or X's own rules. The FTC has fined companies in the past for failing to properly disclose influencer payments. Polymarket could face an inquiry — or the influencers could be held liable.
