Man given deferred prosecution for NT$227 bet on local election outcome

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) A Hsinchu man has been granted deferred prosecution after admitting to placing a small bet on a local election outcome via an overseas online prediction market platform, prosecutors said Wednesday.

The Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office said the Panama-based cryptocurrency prediction platform "Polymarket" had offered a market titled "2026 Taiwanese Local Elections: Party Winner," allowing users to bet on which party would secure the most mayoral and magistrate seats in the Nov. 28 elections.

Prosecutors said the man, surnamed Ho (何), logged into an app on Feb. 6 under the account name "Anon" and placed a NT$227 (US$7) bet on a Kuomintang (KMT) win.

Prosecutors said such election-related betting violates the Public Officials Election and Recall Act and could undermine electoral fairness by influencing public perception.

Given that Ho had no prior criminal record, admitted wrongdoing and showed remorse, prosecutors granted deferred prosecution.

They also warned that election betting promotes speculation and undermines democratic integrity, urging the public not to engage in such activities.

Under Taiwanese law, betting in public or via online and electronic means is illegal and may incur fines of up to NT$50,000, though gambling for "temporary amusement" is exempt.

Betting on the outcome of an election, meanwhile, is punishable by up to 6 months in prison or a maximum fine of NT$100,000.