Polymarket scandal: Indicted Air Force officer claims 'entire IAF is involved in gambling'

An Israeli Air Force officer faced charges on Monday for allegedly wagering on Polymarket about military operations. In his defense, he insisted that gambling permeates the entire force.

Prosecutors pushed for his detention through the investigation's end. The court turned down his bid for house arrest instead of jail time.

Authorities further alleged that the officer displayed a readiness to "sell information for financial benefits," thereby threatening Israel Air Force pilots and missions.

"This is not just a 'gambling story,' but a serious treatise of wrongful acts committed out of a pursuit of excitement and lust for financial gain, while completely ignoring their consequences and the most basic moral and ethical norms," the presiding judge stated.

The court based the arrest decision not solely on the offense's gravity, but on the suspect's sale of classified information and the ongoing risk it posed to Israel should he repeat such behavior.

Officer claims 'everyone gambles' at the Air Force

In his hearing, the officer argued he did not grasp the crime's seriousness, noting that "everyone in the force" uses similar betting platforms.

"The entire Israel Air Force is involved in gambling," he declared.

The court deemed these assertions unrelated to his specific case, yet called for a distinct military inquiry into the matter.

This year has seen multiple accusations against IDF personnel and soldiers with sensitive data access, who allegedly leveraged it for personal profit.

Just months back, on February 12, an Israeli civilian and an IDF reservist faced indictments for using classified military details to bet on the Polymarket prediction platform.