US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has barred all Pentagon personnel from using nonpublic information to place wagers on upcoming military action, including on platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket. In a memo sent Tuesday to senior Pentagon and defense agencies, he warned that enemies watch these markets and that financial stakes can distort judgment. The directive follows the April indictment of US Army soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who is accused of using classified information about the operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to make more than $400,000 on Polymarket; he has pleaded not guilty. In February, Israeli authorities also arrested and indicted a military reservist and a civilian over alleged bets on Polymarket tied to Israeli strikes on Iran.
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