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An Israeli military reservist and a civilian face indictment after authorities said they used non-public operational information to place prediction market bets, triggering a multi-agency security probe, according to local media.
Israeli authorities announced that a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces and a civilian were indicted after an investigation found they allegedly used classified information to wager on military-related outcomes through the Polymarket prediction platform.
The investigation was carried out by the Defense Ministry, the internal security service, and national police units. Officials said several suspects were detained, including reservists who had access to sensitive operational details through their military duties. Prosecutors filed charges against one reservist and one civilian for severe security offenses, along with bribery and obstruction of justice.
A court-issued gag order blocks the publication of additional details about the case, including operational specifics and parts of the evidence gathered during the probe.
Authorities said the alleged betting activity relied on secret operational knowledge and created direct risks for ongoing and future military missions.
"The defense establishment emphasizes that placing such bets, based on secret and classified information, poses a real security risk to IDF operations and to the security of the state," a statement said. Officials added that the alleged actions were treated with "utmost severity" and that enforcement bodies would move to stop and prosecute any misuse of classified data.
The case followed earlier reporting by Kan public broadcaster, which said the Shin Bet was reviewing suspicions that someone inside the defense establishment used classified information to trade on Polymarket.
One account identified as "ricosuave666" placed multiple bets in June 2025 tied to Israeli military operations in Iran with unusual accuracy. The user reportedly wagered tens of thousands of dollars and generated about $150,000 in profit.
Polymarket is a large online prediction market where users bet on real-world events, but rapid growth in the sector has also raised concerns about manipulation and insider-informed trading.
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