Polymarket pulls controversial gang-rape betting contract amid celebrity backlash

Polymarket offered a contract that let users wager on the likelihood of felony charges against at least one of the seven men accused in the Cornell Chi Phi fraternity assault case, generating $451,633 in trading. The bet sparked condemnation from sexual-assault advocates, who launched a petition naming celebrity ambassadors—including LeBron James, Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, Emily Ratajkowski and Alexandra Daddario—and demanding they withdraw support.

After The Post contacted the company, Polymarket removed the betting page. The dispute coincides with a Manhattan lawsuit filed by a woman identified as Jane Doe, alleging she was drugged and repeatedly assaulted by the fraternity members on Oct. 19, 2024. The Tompkins County district attorney has reopened the criminal investigation, and Cornell has imposed disciplinary sanctions on the accused. Critics argue that allowing profit from such cases could create incentives to influence outcomes, while the platform maintains prediction markets provide useful public insight.