Pentagon Bars Troops From Betting on Secret Military Information
WHO:
ABC News US - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a directive concerning troops.
CBS News Politics - The directive applies to U.S. military personnel.
WHAT:
ABC News US - A new Pentagon directive prohibits troops from using “nonpublic information” to make bets on prediction markets.
CBS News Politics - Hegseth said the ban covers both classified and unclassified information.
CBS News Politics - The ban includes prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi.
WHY:
Cointelegraph - Hegseth warned that prediction market wagers could expose military operations to adversaries.
ABC News US - The directive addresses the use of nonpublic information to place bets on prediction markets.
HOW:
ABC News US - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued the directive.
CBS News Politics - The prohibition covers bets on U.S. military operations made using classified or unclassified information.
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 01:32 UTC)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a Pentagon directive barring U.S. military personnel from using nonpublic information to bet on prediction markets. The prohibition applies whether the information is classified or unclassified, and includes wagers on U.S. military operations. It covers platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi. Hegseth warned that bets based on information about military activity could expose operations to adversaries. The directive targets the use of information not available to the public when placing these wagers. In practice, troops may not use either classified details or nonpublic unclassified information to bet on prediction markets. The restriction is aimed at preventing military information from being used for personal financial gain in a way that could put operations at risk.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 00:10 UTC)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a Pentagon directive barring U.S. military personnel from using nonpublic information to place bets on prediction markets. The prohibition applies whether the information is classified or unclassified. It covers wagers connected to U.S. military operations, as well as bets made through platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi. The directive addresses the use of information unavailable to the public as a basis for betting. Under the policy, troops may not use that information to make prediction-market wagers. The restriction applies to military personnel across the U.S. armed forces. Hegseth’s directive makes clear that the ban is not limited to classified material or to a single prediction-market platform.