Polymarket apologizes for allowing wagers on fate of U.S. pilots downed in Iran

U.S. newsPolymarket apologizes for allowing wagers on fate of U.S. pilots downed in Iran "This is DISGUSTING," Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts wrote of the now deleted market where users could place bets on when the U.S. might rescue the pilots.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00In this photo illustration, the Polymarket online betting app logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen.Davide Bonaldo / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 4, 2026, 12:29 PM EDTBy Matt LavietesPrediction market platform Polymarket issued an apology Friday after allowing users to place bets on the fate of American pilots aboard a U.S. fighter jet downed over Iran.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.A two-seater F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran on Friday, according to a U.S. official. One crew member was rescued, but the other remains missing. In a since-deleted market, users had been able to wager on when the pilots might be rescued, with the majority predicting a Saturday rescue.“US confirms pilots rescued by...?” the market read.Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass. — a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq — slammed the market in a post on X, noting that bets were being placed as a dangerous search and rescue operation was ongoing in Iran."They could be your neighbor, a friend, a family member," he wrote. "And people are betting on whether or not they’ll be saved.""This is DISGUSTING," he added.In a reply to Moulton's X post, Polymarket apologized and said it took the market down."We took this market down immediately as it does not meet our integrity standards," the company wrote. "It should not have been posted, and we are investigating how this slipped through our internal safeguards."Moulton replied to Polymarket’s apology, saying the company’s “integrity standards are severely lacking” and pointing to other war-related bets still active on t...