White House staff told not to place bets on prediction markets (bbc.co.uk)

by chrischapman 81 comments 152 points
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81 comments

[−] jeffwask 35d ago
Please don't do insider trading. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
[−] nevi-me 35d ago
Reminds me of our President (SA) asking his colleagues to sign a pledge not to do corruption; when there's already a swearing in that does the same thing.
[−] OutOfHere 35d ago
For those who live in the red-pilled real world, just don't trade on something where controlling insiders (also with a potential conflict-of-interest) can beat you at the game. This is different from bets with non-controlling insiders with no conflict-of-interest.
[−] scoofy 35d ago
“Please don’t gamble except for entertainment purposes.”

– Las Vegas

[−] maerF0x0 35d ago
Isn't that nearly everything public?
[−] OutOfHere 35d ago
The key is avoiding the bets with controlling insiders, i.e. those that could have a potential conflict of interest. Even something as banal as weather data has some insider knowledge, but an insider has no practical control over it, i.e. the insider is non-controlling, with no conflict-of-interest.
[−] penguin_booze 35d ago
You missed the fine print at the bottom: "lolz".
[−] keviniam 35d ago
I don't understand why anybody without access to serious inside information is currently betting on prediction markets. It's clear that insiders are absolutely going to eat your lunch. So who are the suckers who are losing all this money?

I guess this isn't true for all things you might bet on, but it seems to be true for a lot of them.

[−] 113 35d ago
Whew! Glad that's sorted.
[−] twelvedogs 35d ago
Only the top guys are allowed to do insider trading! You guys are making it very very slightly more obvious!!
[−] ahartmetz 35d ago
Does that include friends and cousins? Asking for a friend or cousin.
[−] bcjdjsndon 35d ago
When you elect a bunch of TV wannabes to run your country this is what happens.
[−] josefresco 35d ago
Investor highlights for each platform:

Kalshi: Sequoia Capital, Paradigm, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Y Combinator, Charles Schwab, Henry Kravis (KKR), and CapitalG (Alphabet).

Polymarket: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE - parent of the NYSE), Founders Fund (Peter Thiel), Vitalik Buterin, and 1789 Capital (Donald Trump Jr.).

PredictIt: Primarily supported by Aristotle International (a political tech firm) and historically Victoria University of Wellington.

Donald Trump Jr.: Prominent investor in Polymarket through his firm, 1789 Capital, and serves as a paid strategic advisor to Kalshi.

The current CFTC Chairman, Michael Selig, created a 35-member panel to draft new regulations for prediction markets. This panel includes the CEOs of the platforms they regulate, such as Shayne Coplan (Polymarket) and Tarek Mansour (Kalshi).

[−] exabrial 35d ago
While we’re at it, how about all Congress?
[−] steveBK123 35d ago
And how about friends & family without official roles, congressional appointment process approvals, etc who just.. happen to be around a lot and involved in a lot of stuff?
[−] mechoblast 35d ago
Surely half millions on prediction markets is pennies compared to what is getting made on oil futures/stocks.
[−] p-o 35d ago
I'm sure it's a preventive measure and no one placed bets to enrich themselves in the last 12 months...
[−] qsera 35d ago
I think the proper thing to do would be to forbid these markets to make bets on stuff that can be won by using only insider information.
[−] qsort 35d ago
insane they needed to be told
[−] feverzsj 35d ago
Isn't that in the law?
[−] DesiLurker 35d ago
its free for all at the moment. its not like any of these rule were ever enforced before, lots of our govt worked on honor system & DJT exploited the heck out of it all.
[−] ramon156 35d ago
Naughty! Anyway
[−] polyterative 35d ago
Only they can make the money.
[−] josefritzishere 35d ago
It is trully pathetic that this needs to be said.
[−] MikeNotThePope 35d ago
“Do as I say, not as I do.”
[−] asHqt14 35d ago
It is understandable that they require coaching on this issue when betting markets are being deregulated and Trump Jr. is invested in Polymarket.
[−] mcs5280 35d ago
*unless they give the big guy a 50% cut
[−] Havoc 35d ago
It’s laughable that it’s even necessary to tell them.

Hey don’t abuse privileged workplace information for personal gain isn’t exactly a fresh notion.

Imagine if professionals like lawyers and accountants operated like that.

[−] throwaway613746 35d ago
[dead]
[−] MyHonestOpinon 35d ago
Aside from the current horrible admnistracion. If I understand correctly, One of the strengths of prediction markets is to try to get the insiders to come in and provide insider information thus improving the total info available.