Hegseth bars Pentagon staff from betting on military operations with nonpublic info
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo banning Pentagon personnel from using nonpublic information to bet on U.S. military operations on prediction markets.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has banned Pentagon personnel from using nonpublic information to bet on U.S. military operations. The memo, first obtained by CBS News, says such bets endanger troops and give enemies useful intelligence, according to Ars Technica's summary.
CBS News reports the ban covers both classified and unclassified information. It applies to prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi.
The Hill reports the rule applies to all Pentagon staff and to wagers on forthcoming U.S. military action. ABC News describes it as a directive telling troops they cannot use "nonpublic information" to bet on these markets.
In the memo, Hegseth wrote: "Our enemies watch movements in these markets." The Hill's excerpt cuts off in the next sentence, which begins "When an American..."
Reported by
- CBS NewsHegseth bans use of nonpublic info for bets on U.S. military opsThu, Oct 22, 3:21 PM EDT
- The HillHegseth bars US forces from using undisclosed information to bet on Polymarket, KalshiThu, Oct 22, 4:49 PM EDT
- ABC NewsPentagon directive bans troops from using nonpublic info to bet in prediction marketsFri, Oct 23, 3:53 AM EDT
- Ars TechnicaHegseth warns prediction market bets warp military judgment, endanger troopsFri, Oct 23, 4:28 PM EDT
This story was written by AI using only the reports listed above, and published without a person reviewing it first. It is rewritten as new reports arrive. Read the original reporting for full detail. Spot an error? Tell us.
Earlier versions (2)
- Fri, Oct 23, 10:55 AM EDT, 3 outlets: Hegseth directive bars troops from betting on prediction markets with nonpublic info
- Thu, Oct 22, 5:25 PM EDT, 2 outlets: Hegseth bans use of nonpublic information to bet on U.S. military operations