French police reportedly investigate suspected insider betting on Ballon d’Or
Regulation2 min read
In brief
- French police are reportedly investigating bets on Polymarket that matched the exact Ballon d'Or top-five order.
- France Football opened an internal inquiry and contacted the SCCJ police betting unit.
French police are reportedly investigating suspected use of inside information in bets that correctly predicted the exact order of the top five in the men's Ballon d'Or. The bets were placed on the Polymarket prediction market.
Police sources reportedly said the bets came from 12 accounts on the platform. The accounts were reportedly created between 1 and 20 October. Seven of them reportedly did not take part in other markets, and six placed bets within 15 minutes of the positions opening.
Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi were the five names the wagers picked, from first place down to fifth. The outcome announced at the ceremony confirmed that same ordering exactly. Authorities reportedly stressed that the handling of the positions prompted suspicion that someone had privileged information before the official announcement. Across the accounts, roughly 250 thousand euros were reportedly staked, and the gains came to nearly 200 thousand euros.
France Football, which organises the award, was reportedly alerted to irregularities before the result was officially confirmed. After the ceremony it opened an internal inquiry and contacted the SCCJ, the French police department that investigates betting-related cases. A spokesperson for the organisation reportedly said the winner is chosen by independent vote. The organisation also reportedly said it was in the process of filing a complaint with the competent police authorities.
In the United States, legal actions over the involvement of such platforms in sports betting have reportedly been brought, and some cases could reach the Supreme Court.