If things like Kalshi and Polymarket are prediction markets, then, at least as far as the intrinsic concerns of the market itself are concerned, insider trading is a good thing; literally part of the point.

If they are instead how they function today, then insider trading is a game-breaking fairness issue, like having a device to read your opponents cards in a poker game, and then they're a real problem.

You can tell what these businesses think their platforms are for by how they handle these issues.

Prediction markets can only do sports gambling (the vast majority of their volume) because they self-certify under the CFTC. The CFTC doesn't have the same standards of "insider trading" as the stock market, because insider trading is the entire point of business at the CFTC!

If you're trading, like, oil futures or wheat futures or whatever, you are likely doing so specifically because you have inside information about your business needs or production that you want to hedge.

I understand why people are mad about gambling versus someone who has insider information, but under current US law I'm not sure that there is a case to be made.

Am I misunderstanding? It seems like two different statements he always conflates.

If it becomes a federal crime at some point, it will become illegal from that point — you can't prosecute people for acts committed before they were crimes.

The only way that this could be a federal crime right now is if the government starts prosecuting it under existing laws without any changes. I don't see that as likely.

I think there is still the debate to be had whether prediction market enable too much criminal activity and insider trading compared to traditional stock markets and therefore need to be limited for pragmatic reasons (i.e. the legal system can't keep up), but that's a different discussion.

Short, casual reads

- https://jamaalglenn.substack.com/p/prediction-markets-were-d...

- https://money.com/prediction-markets-insider-trading/

More academic?

- https://mason.gmu.edu/~rhanson/insiderbet.pdf

AND

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yZKGbq1YmA

Discussion on possible solutions that references the academic view

- https://www.dopaminemarkets.com/p/how-to-solve-insider-tradi...

So like, which is it, is insider trading expected, or are these just gambling sites that should be illegal in many jurisdictions?

At most some low-level flunkie will get named and slapped on the wrist.

We have a situation where selective prosecution is used to command loyalty while the ringleader has been immunized from any kind of legal consequences by the Supreme Court, 6 of whom were appointed by said ringleader. Pardons are pretty openly sold now. It's cheaper to rip off the government then pay a fraction for a pardon, erasing any fine or repayment.

I bet there are lower level staffers who are profiting off inside information on prediction markets. Maybe some will be made an example of. I won't hold my breath.

But all the big insider trading is occurring in securities markets, particularly with oil futures and SPY futures. It's reached the point where no professionals trust the futre oil prices at all and and the physical oil prices differ from the future price by as much as $60/barrel. We've had $1b+ bets on SPY futures minutes before market-changing news. We don't know for sure who's doing this but my guess is that it's at the highest levels of the administration.