The Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday unsealed an indictment filed against a civilian and an IDF reservist accused of using classified military intelligence to place bets on the online platform Polymarket.
The court approved the release at the request of the State Attorney’s Office cyber division.
According to the indictment, the reservist was exposed to internal military information through his role in the IDF. Prosecutors allege that he and the civilian used that information to place bets on Polymarket related to military operations.
Last month, public broadcaster Kan 11 reported that defense officials suspected classified information about strikes in Iran had been used on the betting site. Contrary to reports published in recent days, the case does not involve senior defense officials, and the indictment does not include national security charges.
In a statement cleared for publication at the prosecution’s request, authorities said that in a joint operation by the Shin Bet internal security agency, the Malmab security unit and Israel Police, several suspects were recently arrested, including a civilian and reservists, on suspicion of managing bets on Polymarket concerning the occurrence of military operations. The statement said the bets were allegedly based on classified information to which the reservists were exposed through their military duties.
Following an investigation by Malmab and the Shin Bet, and after what prosecutors described as the formation of an evidentiary basis against the two main suspects, the State Attorney’s Office decided to file criminal charges. The defendants are accused of national security offenses, bribery and obstruction of justice.
Earlier this week, local media reported on what was described as a “serious security affair” allegedly involving senior defense establishment figures. However, authorities clarified that no senior officials are implicated and that the two defendants do not hold senior positions in the defense establishment or elsewhere.
On Jan. 22, Kan 11’s military correspondent Roy Sharon reported that the IDF and Shin Bet were examining suspicions that an individual within the defense establishment with access to classified information was using it on Polymarket. According to the report, discussions were held within Military Intelligence and the Shin Bet, but it was initially decided not to open a formal investigation.
Kan 11 also reported that in June 2025, an anonymous user on the platform, which allows wagers on future global events, successfully bet tens of thousands of dollars on four security-related developments in Israel surrounding its 12-day war with Iran. The user accurately predicted that Israel would strike Iran on a Friday, that it would carry out a strike by the end of June 2025, that it would announce the end of the operation by July and that a strike would occur before July.
Similar concerns have surfaced in the United States. In early January, a Polymarket user reportedly earned nearly $500,000 by betting that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro would be removed from office in January — just hours before a covert U.S. operation in Caracas.