This year, a new player has joined the ranks of election polls: Polymarket, a betting market where people can wager real money on future events, Israel’s election included. Many consider it more reliable than any poll, because it doesn’t reflect what people say they’ll do, but shows what they’re willing to risk their money on. Wisdom of the crowds meets the free market, where people put their money where their mouth is: As a result, shifts in the betting odds on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or on the leading candidate to replace him, Gadi Eisenkot, draw extensive attention and news coverage.
