Table of Contents
Polymarket has initiated a program where over 800 social media users are being paid to quote-retweet its branded esports posts, with payments ranging from $10 to several hundred dollars per post in cryptocurrency, as reported by ReaderGrev. Participants are encouraged to make the posts appear natural, with the “Paid partnership” tag usually visible as disclosure.
This goes beyond a typical sponsor logo placement during a tournament: the goal is for the promotion to spread through esports accounts and their followers. A Polymarket representative emphasized in the program’s Discord: “This needs to look organic.”
Prediction markets in the world of esports
Polymarket offers prediction markets on various aspects of esports, including match outcomes, player statistics, and potential team movements. While its Global product is not available to US bettors, Polymarket US operates under US regulations. The esports promotion program has significantly grown between August and October, bringing prediction market advertising directly to the esports community.
In addition to this, the company has been expanding its presence in esports through a partnership with GRID Esports. The paid social media campaign provides another avenue to reach an audience that is already engaged with teams, players, and tournament narratives.
One representative mentioned in Discord that profiles resembling a Polymarket advertisement appeared unappealing. This serves as a reminder about the guidelines on post appearances, though it does not imply that every participant concealed their payment.
Payment rates, referrals, and evolving disclosure practices
Participants are typically contacted via email or social media and then invited to a private Discord server with channels dedicated to specific games. They are provided with prompts to like and quote-retweet posts, with submissions usually being valid for 24 hours. While earlier instructions included a reminder to use the “Paid Partnership” tag, this wording reportedly disappeared by late August, with the reason remaining unclear.
Participants are required to provide tax information, crypto wallet details, and qualifying posts through PolyTrack, Polymarket’s dashboard. Payment rates are negotiated based on a participant’s usual view counts prior to joining, rather than the engagement on the paid post itself. Examples included fees of $45 and $75 per post, with one participant mentioning rates of $200-$300, while another screenshot displayed earnings of almost $900 from around a dozen posts in a month.
Some participants mentioned receiving as low as $10, while others cited a maximum of $400 per post. A referral system allows participants to earn 3% of a recruited member’s earnings for the duration of their participation. Due to payment account issues, payments have shifted from PayPal to cryptocurrency.
Polymarket’s External Marketing Guidelines emphasize the importance of clear disclosure of the relationship and prohibit the promotion of specific trades. Although many quote-retweets seem to use the “Paid Partnership” label, discrepancies between formal guidance and altered Discord prompts raise questions about the practical aspects of disclosure. Esports betting promotions have also encountered platform restrictions, such as Google’s ban on prediction market ads in Ohio.
Expanding reach through creators
At the beginning of August, there were reportedly over 300 creators participating, a number that had grown to over 800 by two months later. The Discord community included various esports personalities, such as commentators, players, coaches, managers, content creators, PR professionals, and tournament organizers. Cloud Sidky, a League of Legends creator, shared his straightforward refusal to engage with gambling sponsorships, highlighting the diverse group of individuals involved in the program.
According to Jake Steinberg, a writer and social media strategy professor, frequent posts from familiar esports figures can make Polymarket more relevant to fans compared to traditional advertisements. Despite attempts to reach out for comments, Polymarket’s press inquiries and messages to representatives remained unanswered, as per the report.
For the more active participants, creator payments were estimated to range from $2,000-$4,000 per post, with the possibility of this figure being higher. Plans for additional promotional posts surrounding the League of Legends World Championship indicate a continued campaign, with the visibility of paid partnership labels becoming a key aspect to monitor.