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Hegseth Bans Pentagon Betting Using Operational Nonpublic Data

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 10:46 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth banned Department personnel from using nonpublic information to bet on operations.
The Oct. 20 memo to senior Pentagon leaders prohibited using any classified or unclassified data for betting.
The ban specifically names prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi, and warns foreign intelligence could read betting signals.
Violations may trigger administrative discipline or criminal prosecution, after Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly won $409,000 from $33,000 bets.

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Story summary

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth banned Department personnel from using nonpublic information to bet on operations.
The Oct. 20 memo to senior Pentagon leaders prohibited using any classified or unclassified data for betting.
The ban specifically names prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi, and warns foreign intelligence could read betting signals.
Violations may trigger administrative discipline or criminal prosecution, after Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly won $409,000 from $33,000 bets.