According to an informed source, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) of the United States is investigating whether the forecasting platform Polymarket has violated a settlement agreement reached in 2022. The agreement was intended to prohibit U.S. users from accessing its offshore platform.
This survey is part of a broader investigation conducted by the institution earlier this year into Polymarket. Previously, an exposé report by The Wall Street Journal pointed out that Polymarket had paid content creators to post videos showing simulated transactions and fictitious profits, which were based on a virtual version of its website.
This informed source stated that the latest investigation focuses on whether Polymarket has violated the settlement agreement of 2022 in the past, and it is unrelated to the current operations of the platform. As they are not authorized to speak publicly, this person has requested to remain anonymous.
The individual added that federal agencies are investigating the control measures used by Polymarket to identify the locations of customers, as well as the advertising activities of the platform in the United States.
According to this source, CFTC is still reviewing the company's US platform launched at the end of December, with a particular focus on its customer account opening and registration process as well as protective measures. Reuters was the first to report on this latest investigation.
This person familiar with the investigation details did not specify when CFTC began investigating Polymarket.
As news of the investigation into CFTC emerges, there is only one week left until the mid-term elections on November 3rd. Polls show that the Democratic Party is leading the Republican Party in the race for control of the House of Representatives, while the Senate race is very close. At the same time, mental health experts and legislators are growing increasingly concerned about the explosive growth of the prediction market over the past year.
Polymarket refused to comment on this investigation. CFTC did not respond to the request for comment.
In 2022, Polymarket stopped US users from accessing its platform and paid a civil fine of $1.4 million to CFTC as part of a law enforcement settlement reached with that institution during the Biden administration.
In 2024, CFTC launched an investigation into whether Polymarket complied with the agreement, and the U.S. Department of Justice also initiated a related investigation. Both federal agencies concluded their investigations into the platform in July 2025.
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