TLDR Polymarket removed a market that let traders bet on whether any of seven Cornell fraternity members would face felony sex-crime charges. The market had $451,633 in trading volume, with traders pricing the chance of charges at about 28%. Advocates launched a petition urging celebrity endorsers, including LeBron James, to cut ties with the platform. James reportedly earns $15 million a year promoting Polymarket. The Tompkins County district attorney has reopened a criminal investigation that was initially declined in 2024.
Polymarket has removed a betting market tied to a sexual assault lawsuit involving seven Cornell University fraternity members. The move followed public pressure from advocates and questions from the press.
The market asked traders whether any of the seven men, known online as the “Cornell 7,” would be charged with a felony sex crime. It was available on Polymarket’s international platform but not its US app.
Before it was taken down, traders priced the chance of felony charges at roughly 28%. The market had drawn $451,633 in trading volume as of Monday afternoon.
Front Office Sports first reported the wager. Polymarket took the page offline after the New York Post contacted the company for comment.
Advocates Target Celebrity Endorsers
The market drew anger from sexual assault advocates. Many directed their criticism at the famous figures who promote the platform.
A petition titled “No Gambling on Gang Rape!” named LeBron James, Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, Emily Ratajkowski and Alexandra Daddario. It urged them to end their relationships with Polymarket.
“This is dehumanizing, disgusting, and dangerous,” attorney Cheyenne Hunt wrote on Instagram. She asked the company’s celebrity ambassadors if they wanted to be associated with the market.
The petition also warned that letting people profit from a criminal case could give those with influence over it a reason to