Why Are People Betting On War?

from Viewpoints Radio · host Gary Price, Ben Schiffrin, Kevin Williams, Grace Galante, Amirah Zaveri, Jay Silvers

Why Are People Betting On War? Prediction markets were initially built to forecast elections and economic moves but they’re now being used to bet on war, political upheaval and global instability. As money flows into these high-stakes wagers, the line between informed forecasting and profiting off real-world consequences has merged into one and is now under investigation. Guests: Ben Schiffrin, director of securities policy, Better Markets Kevin Williams, assistant professor, economics, Occidental College Host: Gary Price Producer: Grace Galante Linktr.ee | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | SpotifyFacebook: @ViewpointsOnlineX: @viewpointsradioInstagram: @viewpointsradioFull ArchiveContact UsAffiliates & National Syndication Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 19, 2026

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

What this episode covers

Prediction markets were initially built to forecast elections and economic moves but they’re now being used to bet on war, political upheaval and global instability. As money flows into these high-stakes wagers, the line between informed forecasting and profiting off real-world consequences has merged into one and is now under investigation.