Polymarket launches “responsible trading” features, including deposit limits and self-exclusion tools
Polymarket has introduced deposit limits and self-exclusion tools amid scrutiny over insider trading and problem gambling risks.
Key Takeaways
- Polymarket announced new consumer protection tools on Wednesday, including irreversible deposit limits, temporary or permanent self-exclusion, and gambling addiction support.
- The company partnered with Birches Health to connect users to treatment when it detects “compulsive financial trading behaviours.”.
US.- Polymarket has introduced new consumer protection tools, including irreversible deposit limits, voluntary self-exclusion, and access to gambling addiction treatment through a new partnership with Birches Health. The move comes as prediction markets face mounting scrutiny over potential insider trading and the similarities between their products and traditional gambling offerings.
Polymarket’s partnership with Birches Health, a virtual provider of gambling addiction treatment, is intended to offer users access to mental health resources when the company identifies what it describes as “compulsive financial trading behaviours.”
For companies in the gambling sector, the measures will sound familiar, taking similar forms to established responsible gambling measures but now under a different name. Malea Otranto, Polymarket’s new head of global safety, told CNN that Polymarket will monitor how users engage with its “responsible trading” features and assess whether changes are needed as the platform evolves.
“It’s really incredibly important as we continue to grow and accelerate to give people control over how they want to leverage our platform,” she said.
Security against insider trading
Polymarket and Kalshi have reported more than 100 potential insider trading cases in 2026, with Polymarket referring over 90 accounts and Kalshi more than 50 to authorities.The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has brought civil action against only three prediction market traders so far, highlighting a gap between the number of cases identified and the regulator’s enforcement activity.
The number of cases reported by Kalshi and Polymarket has raised concerns about whether existing regulatory resources are sufficient to address potential market abuse. A US Army master sergeant was prosecuted after allegedly using classified information about the US operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to place trades on Polymarket, while a former White House teleprompter operator was accused of trading on information related to President Donald Trump’s speeches, as and former Republican congressman George Santos was fined $35,000 after placing $17,000 in Kalshi contracts related to his attendance at the State of the Union address.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- What new consumer protection tools did Polymarket launch? Irreversible deposit limits, voluntary temporary or permanent account exclusion, and access to gambling addiction support through a partnership with Birches Health.
- How does Polymarket identify users who may need help? The company says it looks for what it describes as “compulsive financial trading behaviours” and connects those users to Birches Health’s treatment resources.
