"Polymarket is facing fresh scrutiny after a viral post set off a wave of criticism about what kinds of events should be turned into betting markets, which has since been withdrawn. The controversy began when a screenshot circulated on X showing a Polymarket listing titled "Artemis II explodes?" Traders had assigned the event an 8% implied probability. For many users, the optics alone were jarring. One commenter wrote, "Sorry to be a scold but wagering on people dying should not be legal!""
"As the backlash grew, Polymarket moved to clarify what the contract was actually measuring. On its official account, the company said the listing "was a market about a potential booster-stage rupture - a defined hardware failure scenario - not about the Orion crew capsule or astronaut safety." It followed up by stating, "This was not a market on crew injury or loss of life." By Monday night, that explanation had racked up more than 500,000 views."
A Polymarket listing titled "Artemis II explodes?" circulated as a screenshot on X and showed an 8% implied probability, prompting public discomfort. Many users objected to the optics and to wagering framed around a possible space disaster. Polymarket clarified that the market measured a potential booster-stage rupture, not the Orion crew capsule or crew injury or death, and its clarification reached over 500,000 views. The company renamed the listing to "Artemis II booster rupture?" and a user reported on Discord that the market was withdrawn and outstanding shares would be refunded.
Read at ReadWrite
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