Polymarket hit with congressional probe over classified-info betting claims
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has opened an investigation into Polymarket and Kalshi over concerns tied to insider trading and wagers allegedly linked to classified information.James Comer launched a congressional probe into Polymarket and Kalshi over suspected insider trading and classified-information betting activity.Lawmakers cited reports of suspicious Iran-related wagers and a federal case involving a U.S. Army sergeant accused of using classified information to make over $409,000 in prediction market profits.The investigation comes as Polymarket faces mounting pressure from regulators and a recent suspected exploit tied to its UMA CTF Adapter contract on Polygon. According to a statement released by the committee, Chair James Comer sent formal letters to Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan and Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour requesting internal records and compliance details related to user activity on their platforms. The committee said it wants to assess how the companies detect suspicious trading, verify customer identities, and enforce geographic restrictions designed to comply with U.S. regulations. In the letters, Comer said prediction market operators hold the internal data needed to identify whether users are trading with access to non-public information. He also raised concerns that offshore platforms may be allowing users to bypass federal compliance rules. Congressional scrutiny intensified