Polymarket issues apology for permitting reprehensible wagers on U.S. aviators shot down in Iran

(SeaPRwire) –   The platform removed a market speculating on the extraction timeline of the American airmen following public criticism

Prediction market Polymarket has issued an apology for permitting users to wager on the rescue of American airmen from a downed fighter jet in Iran, after facing criticism over ethical concerns.

The incident began on Friday when an F-15E Strike Eagle with two crew members was shot down over Iran, leading the US to initiate a dangerous rescue operation. According to US officials, one crew member was evacuated soon after the crash, but locating and extracting the second took over 24 hours in a mission that involved multiple helicopters and a CIA deception tactic.

Iranian authorities have contested the success of this operation, asserting that their forces destroyed a C-130 transport plane and two Black Hawk helicopters; videos purportedly showing the wreckage have been shared on social media.

This ambiguity surrounding the service members’ situation led to the creation of a since-deleted betting market where users could take ‘yes’ or ‘no’ positions on whether the airmen would be recovered by April 3 or April 4. Approximately 63% of traders predicted a rescue would occur on Saturday.

Democratic congressman Seth Moulton was among the first to call attention to the bet, posting on X: “This is DISGUSTING.” He added, “They could be your neighbor, a friend, a family member. And people are betting on whether or not they’ll be saved.”

Polymarket quickly removed the market, responding to Moulton: “We took this market down immediately as it does not meet our integrity standards. It should not have been posted, and we are investigating how this slipped through our internal safeguards.” 

Moulton dismissed the apology as inadequate, stating that Polymarket’s “integrity standards are severely lacking,” and highlighting dozens of other active war-related bets still available on the platform.

The congressman also criticized the Trump administration, noting that Donald Trump Jr. “is an investor in this dystopian death market and may have access to intelligence that isn’t public yet.” 

This event is the most recent in a series of controversies for Polymarket related to the conflict with Iran. Several media outlets reported that six suspected insiders collectively won $1.2 million by correctly betting that the US would strike Iran on February 28—the very day joint US-Israeli airstrikes commenced—with all the accounts receiving funds within hours of the attack.

In a separate case, Israeli prosecutors indicted an IDF reservist and a civilian for allegedly wagering on Polymarket using classified military intelligence during the Twelve-Day War in June 2025.