People who want to make an easy buck will wager a bet on just about anything. Now, some hope to profit by placing bets on when the next wildfire will occur and a group of lawmakers is alarmed.
Federal court wins by prediction platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi allow new gambling options — including parlays on wildfires — even as experts warned they could trigger arson. Senator Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and five Democratic colleagues sent a letter last week to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission calling for a crackdown.
Matthew Hurteau, professor of biology at the University of New Mexico, has contributed to wildfire research.
