Israeli Soldier Accused of Using Classified Secrets for Online Betting on Iran
WANA (Feb 12) – A district court in Tel Aviv on Thursday lifted a gag order and released an indictment accusing an Israeli army reservist and a civilian of misusing highly classified military information for online betting, a case that has drawn wide media attention and raised serious questions about the protection of sensitive security data.
According to Israeli media reports, the defendants allegedly used confidential military intelligence related to Iran to place bets on the online platform Polymarket, a website that allows users to speculate on future political and security events. The daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Tel Aviv court approved the State Prosecutor’s Cyber Unit’s request to make the indictment public.
Prosecutors claim that the army reservist had access to internal, classified information through his military role and shared it with the civilian suspect. Authorities allege that the two relied on this sensitive data to bet on the likelihood and timing of military operations.
Last month, Israel’s Channel 11 (Kan 11) reported that security officials had become suspicious that classified information related to potential strikes on Iran was being used on betting websites. In a statement released at the request of the prosecution, Israeli authorities said several suspects—including reservists and a civilian—had been detained on suspicion of managing or participating in betting activities on Polymarket.
According to the indictment, the bets were allegedly based on confidential information obtained by reservists during the course of their military duties. The suspects face charges including security offenses, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
Earlier this week, local Israeli media described the case as a “serious security affair,” suggesting that senior figures within the military or security establishment might be involved. However, officials later stressed that no high-ranking officers were implicated and that the two defendants do not hold senior positions within Israel’s security, defense, or other state institutions.
On January 22, Roy Sharon, Channel 11’s military correspondent, reported that the Israeli military and the Shin Bet internal security service were investigating suspicions that an individual with access to classified information had used it on Polymarket. The network also revealed that in June 2025, an anonymous user on the platform earned tens of thousands of dollars by correctly predicting four security developments linked to the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran.
According to the report, the user accurately predicted that Israel would strike Iran on a Friday, that an attack would take place by the end of June 2025, that the operation would be declared over by July, and that another strike would occur before July.
Similar concerns have also been raised in the United States. In early January, a Polymarket user reportedly earned nearly $500,000 after placing a bet—just hours before a secret U.S. operation in Caracas—that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro would step down from power in January. These cases have fueled broader international debate over the line between prediction markets, gambling, and the illegal use of classified information.
Unveiling of the wreckage of Israeli drones shot down during the 12-day war at Azadi Square, Tehran. Social media / WANA News Agency
