Election Betting Pool on Prediction Platform; Miaoli Prosecutors Catch Bettor Using Crypto

Miaoli, April 24 (CNA) — With the year-end local government elections approaching, a betting pool based on the election has appeared on the decentralized prediction platform "Polymarket." The Miaoli District Prosecutors Office has caught a bettor, surnamed Huang, who used virtual currency to place bets, and has referred him for prosecution under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act.

In a press release today, the Miaoli District Prosecutors Office pointed out that with the spread of network technology and encrypted currencies, the mode of election betting has shifted from physical to digital, anonymous, and cross-border. It has become an important tool for foreign forces to intervene in elections, damaging electoral fairness more severely than individual bribery cases.

Prosecutor Yang Yue-du, in coordination with the Kinmen County Police Department, investigated the betting pool on "Polymarket" targeting the November 28 nine-in-one local elections. On the 22nd, they caught Huang, who bet virtual currency on the item "Which party will win the most mayoral and magistrate seats in the 2026 Taiwan local elections," suspected of committing the crime of gambling on election results via the internet.

Prosecutors pointed out that certain individuals try to manipulate election results by setting up betting pools and controlling odds. Once voters are lured by odds to bet, they may change their own voting intentions or even mobilize others to win their bets, creating an improper effect of manipulating elections through gambling.

The Miaoli District Prosecutors Office emphasized that cracking down on election betting is a key task. They encourage citizens to report illegal acts, offering a maximum reward of 5 million TWD. In the 2022 elections, the office issued over 17 million TWD in rewards.