Polymarket Row Highlights BGC's Big Tech Concerns

In an open letter published this week, BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst urged social media platforms, search engines, messaging services, and digital advertising networks to take greater responsibility for identifying and removing content linked to unlicensed gambling operators.

The Timing of Hurst’s Letter

Just days before the letter was published, Ellis Platten, the YouTuber behind AwayDays, with more than 600,000 subscribers, claimed he had been approached about promoting prediction market platform Polymarket ahead of the World Cup^[1].

He shared a screenshot of an email he said was sent by a representative working on behalf of Polymarket.

The email proposed a partnership focused on content surrounding the upcoming World Cup. Platten responded sarcastically on X, writing: ‘Good to see them targeting creators that are a natural fit.’

He later claimed that a number of creators posting Polymarket content were being paid to do so, adding that undisclosed promotions would be ‘highly shady’ and potentially illegal.

While Polymarket occupies a slightly different space to traditional gambling operators, the controversy highlights a broader concern. One that’s increasingly raised by regulators and industry bodies alike: how online platforms are being used to distribute content promoting products that sit outside the UK's regulated framework.