Election Betting Poll Shows US Opposition
Six in 10 Americans oppose using prediction markets to wager on election results, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found, adding a public-opinion challenge as officials debate how to regulate the industry. The online survey covered 4,506 US adults nationwide from September 30 to October 5, with a margin of error of about two percentage points. Opposition crossed party lines: 69% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans opposed election betting. Government-event wagers draw strong opposition The poll also found that 65% opposed betting on US military actions and 63% opposed wagers on government policy announcements or decisions. Support was low for both categories, at 8% for military-action markets and 9% for policy markets. Polymarket and Kalshi offer markets on elections and other real-world events, alongside sports. The companies say they have safeguards against misconduct and work with authorities, including referring accounts they consider suspicious. The survey found that 93% of Democrats and 89% of Republicans considered it inappropriate for members of Congress or their staff to bet on political events. In April, the Senate barred senators, staff and …
