Rahm Emanuel proposes banning all federal employees from betting on
prediction markets
[March 23, 2026]
By STEVEN SLOAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rahm Emanuel, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential
candidate, is proposing a far-reaching ban on betting in prediction
markets by federal employees and their families as part of an effort to
call attention to what he says is a culture of corruption gripping the
nation's politics.
The proposal, which Emanuel shared with The Associated Press, would
apply to leaders and employees across the executive, legislative and
judicial branches of the federal government. Emanuel said if elected he
would establish a division within the Justice Department to investigate
such betting.
As legalized gambling has taken off in the U.S., there have been
widespread concerns about its impact on everything from sports to
addiction. But Emanuel said he was spurred to focus on the issue after
concerns emerged that some in Washington with inside information about
national security plans may have profited off of bets made ahead of
recent military action in Venezuela and Iran.
“Somebody clearly with inside information inside the government was
making bets, made money,” he said in an interview. “You have fellow
Americans, what I call the true 1%, the people that volunteer to serve
the interests of this country and its national security, they're putting
their lives on the line and you've got somebody else sitting in his or
her basement placing bets on it.”
He cast his measure as part of a broader push to shake a capital that he
argues has become desensitized to corruption in the Trump era.
“All of Washington has become so accustomed to this amorality and
immorality and nobody says anything,” Emanuel said. “Washington needs a
good power washing.”
Few are as familiar with Washington as the 66-year-old Emanuel, a
onetime congressman from Illinois who helped power Democrats to
overwhelming victories in the 2006 midterms, an election year some in
the party are looking to for inspiration as they try to retake control
of Congress this year. He became White House chief of staff to President
Barack Obama before being elected to two terms as Chicago mayor. He was
the U.S. ambassador to Japan under President Joe Biden.
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Former U.S. ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel listens during a House
Select Committee on China hearing on Capitol Hill, July 23, 2025, in
Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
Now Emanuel is considering a White House bid of his own in 2028. In
the early stages of that contest, several Democratic governors,
including Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of
Pennsylvania, have received the most attention. Kentucky Gov. Andy
Beshear made an aggressive move of his own over the weekend by
traveling to Vice President JD Vance's home county in Ohio to
deliver a searing critique of the man who could become a leading
candidate for the next Republican presidential nomination.
Against that backdrop, Emanuel has distinguished himself by issuing
a series of proposals that often address issues at the center of the
Democratic debate. After Biden's presidency raised questions about
the ability of aging leaders to remain in public office, Emanuel
proposed a mandatory retirement age of 75, an idea that would
prevent him from seeking a second term if he was elected. He's also
proposed banning children under 16 from most social media and
options to address literacy.
Often on the road in communities from Michigan to Mississippi, he is
pitching these ideas in places that don't always receive attention
from potential presidential hopefuls.
He said he would hope to work with Congress to enact the predictive
betting ban but would consider executive action if that weren't
possible. In the interview, he insisted he wasn't issuing such
proposals to simply shape the direction of the Democratic debate as
another campaign season nears.
He said measures like the ban on predictive betting are intended to
shock Washington into returning to the norms that long governed
politics.
“I put this out there because everybody else is walking around
sleepwalking,” he said.
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