Ritchie Torres Fights Insider Trading in Prediction Markets

Legislation to Regulate Prediction Markets in the US on the Horizon

U.S. Congressman Ritchie Torres is preparing to introduce new legislation targeting insider trading within prediction markets, catalyzed by recent events involving a high-stakes wager related to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The proposed bill aims to extend existing insider trading laws to this emerging sector of financial speculation, seeking greater oversight and transparency.

According to a report shared on X by Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman, the legislation, titled Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026, would prohibit federal officials—including elected representatives, political appointees, and executive branch employees—from trading prediction market contracts that involve government policies or political outcomes when they possess nonpublic information derived from their official roles.

The bill’s scope encompasses transactions on prediction platforms engaged in interstate commerce, effectively mirroring traditional insider trading regulations but applying them to prediction markets. The aim is to prevent abuse of nonpublic information for financial gain within these speculative platforms.

The Maduro Prediction and Its Surprising Payout

The announcement of legislation follows a recent incident on Polymarket, where an account placed approximately $32,000 on a contract predicting the removal of Nicolás Maduro from power by January 31, 2026. The same account, with minimal prior activity, saw its bet likely influenced by political developments, as hours later, reports emerged indicating the Venezuelan leader’s capture by U.S. forces. This event reportedly triggered the resolution of the contract, resulting in a payout exceeding $400,000 for the bettor.

The rapid, high-profit outcome raised suspicions about whether individuals could be leveraging nonpublic, optionally sensitive political or military information to profit from prediction markets. In response, Kalshi, a prominent prediction platform, affirmed its compliance policies, emphasizing that insiders or decision-makers are barred from trading on material nonpublic information.

Security Concerns and Platform Vulnerabilities

In related news, Polymarket reported a security breach affecting a small subset of users after several accounts experienced unauthorized login attempts, leading to losses of funds and closed positions. The platform attributed these issues to a vulnerability introduced by a third-party authentication provider. The company assured that the flaw has been remediated and that affected users will be contacted to address the incident.

While regulators consider tightening the rules governing prediction markets, such events highlight the ongoing security challenges in the sector and the potential for misuse when nonpublic information is involved.