Betting links on global incidents were surfacing alongside reputable news agencies.
Betting links on global incidents were surfacing alongside reputable news agencies.
Polymarket wagers began showing up in Google News alongside authentic news stories. However, those entries are no longer present, as Google claims they were never meant to be. A spokesperson, Ned Adriance, informed The Verge that, “Google News is designed to present sources that generate content about ongoing issues, occurrences, and significant subjects, and we have protocols for sites to qualify to be featured. This site appeared in Google News by mistake, and it is not appearing in News anymore.”
The links directed users straight to betting platforms related to particular news stories. For example, before their removal, Futurism queried “will ships pass through the strait,” (the Strait of Hormuz), and right beneath credible sources like The Guardian and Reuters was a Polymarket wager on the exact number of ships authorized to navigate.
At first, there were conjectures that Google may have been experimenting with Polymarket outcomes as part of a collaboration with the service. Polymarket and Kalshi have been actively seeking collaborations with reporters and news organizations, even less credible ones. It remains uncertain how Polymarket ended up appearing in Google News results, or when it precisely commenced. Reports began circulating on social platforms as early as January.
Google has formed partnerships with both Kalshi and Polymarket to integrate their information into Google Finance. The connection between that arrangement and the entries in Google News is not clearly established. We have reached out to Google for further clarification.
