Polymarket removes bets on Cornell fraternity rape case

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 23:32 · Archive

Polymarket removed a betting market on whether seven Cornell University fraternity members accused of gang rape would face felony charges.

Polymarket removed a betting market on its international platform that allowed users to wager on whether any of seven Cornell University fraternity members accused of gang rape would face felony sex-crime charges. The contract, launched on 30 September and scheduled to run until 31 January, generated over $450,000 in trading volume before being taken down. Traders were pricing the probability of felony charges at roughly 28% before the bet was removed.

The woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit last month alleging that the seven men sexually assaulted or exploited her in October 2024. The betting opportunity sparked outrage among sexual assault advocates, who launched a petition titled 'No Gambling on Gang Rape!' and pressured the platform's celebrity endorsers to denounce the market. Attorney Cheyenne Hunt called the market 'dehumanizing, disgusting, and dangerous'.

The campaign singled out Polymarket's high-profile endorsers, including LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Emily Ratajkowski and Alexandra Daddario. A Polymarket spokesperson said on Tuesday: 'We believe in the wisdom of crowds, have heard them loud and clear, and removed the market.' The platform maintains formal partnerships with the NHL, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the UFC and the ATP Tour.

How it is being reported

• Polymarket halts bets on fate of Cornell students accused of gang rapeA woman identified in court documents by the pseudonym Jane Doe filed a lawsuit last month alleging that seven fraternity members sexually assaulted or exploited her in October 2024Independent World · 20 Oct, 22:59
• Polymarket removes bets on ‘Cornell 7’ gang-rape case as activists target LeBron James, celebrity endorsersPolymarket caved to backlash and removed a bet that allowed gamblers to wager on whether seven Cornell University fraternity members accused in a gang-rape lawsuit will face felony sex-crime charges.New York Post · 19 Oct, 22:28

In this story: Polymarket · Cornell University · LeBron James · Derek Jeter · Eli Manning

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