iGaming Marketing Professional Accused of Insider Polymarket Trades on Iran Conflict
Posted on: May 7, 2026, 10:37h.
Last updated on: May 7, 2026, 10:58h.
- Israeli prosecutors accuse marketer of insider Polymarket trading on military strikes
- Dormant Polymarket account triggered online speculation before suspect’s arrest
- Reserve major allegedly leaked classified military timing information via WhatsApp
An Israeli judge has lifted a gag order shielding the identity of a man accused of using insider information to profit from Polymarket trades on the Iran conflict. The suspect has been identified as Omer Ziv, 30, an iGaming marketing professional from Tel Aviv who previously worked for High 5 Games and Playtech, according to his LinkedIn page.
Ziv’s co-defendant, an Israeli Air Force reserve major accused of passing him sensitive information about the timing of Israeli military action, has not been publicly identified for national security reasons.
According to court documents, Ziv became acquainted with the major when they worked together at an iGaming tech company several years ago. In June 2025, Ziv became aware of a Polymarket event contract asking whether there would be “Israeli military action against Iran before July?”
Prosecutors allege the pair agreed the major would leak information about forthcoming military operations while Ziv traded on Polymarket through four newly created accounts.
Rising Lion
On June 12, the major was briefed that “Operation Rising Lion” was imminent, a military campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear capabilities that triggered days of retaliatory missile fire.
He shared this information with Ziv via WhatsApp, prompting him to begin taking positions on Polymarket, according to court documents. Ziv also shared the news with three friends, warning them to keep quiet, “so we don’t go to jail,” prosecutors said.
Afterward, Ziv shared a screenshot with the major showing their profits, roughly $128,000, per the indictment. He is alleged to have made three more trades on Israeli military operations during the ensuing conflict, which became known as the Twelve-Day War.
Prosecutors claim Ziv also took positions in September on Israeli action in Yemen when the major received information about strikes on Houthi-controlled areas. In total, the pair made around $154,000.
Then, in January this year, as tensions between Israel and Iran began to escalate again, Ziv allegedly resumed trading. But this time other Polymarket users began to take notice.
Suspicion Emerges
One account in particular, ricosuave666, became the subject of intense speculation online after users noticed it had suddenly sprung back to life following seven months of inactivity. Before going dormant, the account had made suspiciously successful trades on Iran strikes and was once again taking similar positions.
Fearing he was about to be exposed, Ziv began cancelling trades and changing usernames, according to prosecutors. He and the major then deleted their WhatsApp conversations.
But it was too late. Following a joint investigation conducted by the Israeli Defense Force and internal security agency Shin Bet, Ziv was arrested in January as he returned from the iGB Affiliate conference in Barcelona. The major was detained shortly afterward.
The pair have been charged with bribery, security offences and obstruction of justice. Ziv also faces an aggravated espionage charge, an offence punishable by life imprisonment.
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