Ballon d’Or betting draws fraud complaint over twelve new accounts

Groupe Amaury, the organizer of the Ballon d’Or, has filed a fraud complaint over bets placed on Polymarket, according to Prediction News.

The complaint follows activity by 12 newly created accounts that Groupe Amaury says correctly predicted the exact top five in the 2026 Ballon d’Or before Harry Kane won the award in London.

Winning bets face scrutiny

The accounts netted about 200,000 dollars, according to Prediction News. The reported concern centers on the combination of newly created accounts and their precise predictions ahead of the award.

French police are investigating suspected insider trading. The supplied account does not establish that the bettors had access to confidential results or that wrongdoing occurred.

What it means for prediction markets

• The case puts advance access to award results in focus as a potential integrity issue for prediction markets.
• The reported activity involves 12 new accounts, an exact top-five prediction and about 200,000 dollars in winnings; those details do not, by themselves, prove insider trading.
• The police investigation is distinct from a finding of misconduct. The supplied reporting gives no outcome for the investigation or the fraud complaint.