Journalist Threatened Over Gambling Bet on Missile Strike

0:00This is Adelaide News today, powered by AI and presented by the Daily News now. An Israeli journalist named Emanuel Fabian faced serious threats from online gamblers after reporting a missile strike near Jerusalem on March 10. The story involved a missile hitting an open area with no injuries, but a clash with a huge bet on polymarket worth $23 million. The wager hinged on whether Iran had launched a direct, non-interceptive strike on Israel that day. Those bombarded Fabian with emails and messages on X, demanding he rewrite his report to call it just fragments from an interception. One threat promised to spend at least $900,000 to harm him if he did not comply within 90 minutes. The pressure lasted all night, with over 100 messages from accounts tied to polymarket users. Fabian stood firm after verifying facts with the military, calling the story minor. He shared the threats publicly, but noted no other journalists have reported similar issues yet.

1:00This echoes abuse seen in sports from angry bettors. Polymarket, backed by big investors like those linked to the New York Stock Exchange, has surged in popularity for betting on world events, including, wars. Critics worry it enables insider trading and war profiteering, with some bets hinting at secret info on attacks or political plots. Experts warned these markets could be manipulated to sway bigger financial trades, and as they grow, more journalists might face harassment to alter. Facts, Fabian predicts this won't be the last case if nothing changes. This story is shared with support from our sponsor, Headphones in a Pillow, Simple Idea, Risingly Addictive, S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com.