1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take more aggressive legislative and regulatory action against online betting platforms like Polymarket, which have turned American elections into speculative games and undermined the integrity of our democratic process. While platforms like Polymarket are currently banned in several states, the existing enforcement is insufficient. These platforms continue to operate via crypto loopholes, VPN access, and offshore entities, enabling U.S. users — often young and politically inexperienced — to place bets on real-time election outcomes. The 2024 election cycle made it abundantly clear how dangerous this is. By gamifying political events, platforms like Polymarket incentivize users to treat elections not as civic duties, but as gambling opportunities. In doing so, they distort motivations: instead of voting based on values, policy, or leadership, users are nudged to vote in alignment with their bets. That is not democracy — that is manipulation. For example: • Users bet heavily on presidential debate outcomes and swing-state results, with real money riding on speculation, not civic engagement. • On Polymarket, users could wager on whether certain candidates would drop out, win a primary, or even be indicted — creating a perverse incentive for people to cheer for instability just to cash out. • The platform is accessible through DeFi wallets and smart contracts that evade standard financial compliance and KYC requirements, meaning enforcement is nearly impossible without federal coordination. This is not just a legal grey area — it’s a political ethics crisis in the making. We do not allow citizens to bet on jury outcomes or legislation votes for the same reason: doing so invites corruption, undue influence, and destabilization. Elections should be sacred, not markets. I ask that your office: 1. Support federal legislation banning political betting markets that involve U.S. elections. 2. Direct relevant regulatory agencies (like the CFTC and SEC) to investigate Polymarket’s 2024 election activities and pursue action against users who engaged in bets while voting. 3. Promote bipartisan support for rules that close cryptocurrency and DeFi loopholes enabling these practices. The future of American elections cannot be auctioned off one prediction market at a time. I hope you take this issue seriously before the 2026 or 2028 election cycles face even greater degradation. Thank you for your time and leadership.