- Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi have gained popularity, allowing bets on events from sports to personal matters, but the author initially dismissed them as similar to crypto and meme-coins.
- The author discovered that people bet on the Los Angeles fires via Polymarket, with $1.2 million wagered, prompting disgust among survivors who felt their lives were being exploited.
- Ethicists argue that gambling on fatal disasters devalues human life and may incentivize arson, and the author found a California-specific wildfire betting site, Wyldfyre, which later switched to virtual points.
- The story gained traction, being republished by major outlets and discussed on public radio, leading to new findings like California state employees being banned from betting on prediction markets.
- Regulations for prediction markets vary by state, with Arizona failing to ban Kalshi due to federal intervention, Washington blocking it for violating gambling laws, and most Kalshi markets restricted in Nevada.
- The author concludes that viewing wildfires as entertainment or profit has dangerous consequences, and questions whether platforms or governments will eventually limit such betting.