Two Israelis have been charged with using confidential military information for betting, Israeli authorities said today, alleging they committed a serious security breach.
A joint statement from the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the Shin Bet domestic security service, and the police states that the civilian and the reservist are suspected of betting on future Israeli military operations on the American betting platform Polymarket, based on information to which the reservist had access.
The Israeli Attorney General's Office decided to prosecute them after a joint investigation by the police, military intelligence, and other security agencies.
The two face multiple charges, including bribery and obstruction of justice.
Authorities did not provide details on the identities of the accused, or the rank and position of the reservist in the Israeli army, and warned that such activities pose a "real security risk" to the army and the Israeli state.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan previously reported that the bets were made in June last year, before Israel's war with Iran, and that the winnings amounted to about $150.000 (about 126,000 euros).
The Israeli military and security services said in a statement that they "view the acts attributed to the defendants very seriously" and that they will act decisively to prevent and bring to justice any person involved in the illegal use of classified information.
The defendant will remain in custody until the end of the court proceedings, the Prosecutor's Office announced.
Betting platforms, also called "forecast markets", work with "event contracts", i.e. questions that are typically answered with "yes" or "no".
The value of the "contract" is determined by the user's offers, which should indicate the perceived probability that an event will occur.
The popularity of such platforms has skyrocketed in recent years, but despite some big gains, users still lose money every day.
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