VotePapa
- Real-time trade surveillance on every market
- KYC verification for all traders
- Restricted persons policy enforced
- Transparent resolution criteria
- Dedicated compliance team
- Public enforcement actions
Unregulated Platforms
- No trade monitoring or surveillance
- Anonymous accounts with no verification
- No restrictions on insider participation
- Vague or changeable resolution rules
- No compliance infrastructure
- No accountability for manipulation
Real-Time Monitoring
Every trade on VotePapa passes through our three-stage integrity pipeline. From automated detection to human investigation to decisive enforcement.
Detect
Our automated surveillance systems monitor every trade in real time. We use pattern recognition to identify anomalous activity including:
- Unusual timing — large trades placed just before resolution
- Win-rate irregularities — accounts with statistically improbable success rates
- Coordinated activity — multiple accounts acting in concert
- Wash trading — self-dealing to manipulate prices or volume
Investigate
When suspicious activity is flagged, our compliance team conducts a thorough investigation:
- Flagged account is immediately frozen pending review
- Full trading history and funding sources are examined
- Third-party intelligence and open-source data are cross-referenced
- The account holder is contacted for explanation when appropriate
Enforce
Confirmed violations result in swift and proportionate enforcement actions:
- Disgorgement — ill-gotten gains are confiscated and returned to affected traders
- Fines — financial penalties proportional to the severity of the violation
- Suspensions — multi-month or multi-year trading bans
- Permanent bans — lifetime exclusion from the platform for serious offenses
Restricted Persons
Certain individuals are prohibited from trading on markets where they possess material non-public information. This goes beyond traditional insider trading rules — event markets require broader restrictions.
Political Persons
- Candidates for elected office (national, county, or local)
- Sitting Members of Parliament, Senators, and Governors
- Campaign staff and political consultants
- Election officials and IEBC commissioners
- Senior government appointees with access to non-public information
Sports Professionals
- Professional athletes in leagues covered by VotePapa markets
- Coaches, managers, and team officials
- Match officials and referees
- League administrators and governing body members
- Sports agents with material non-public information
Disqualified Persons
- Individuals convicted of fraud, market manipulation, or insider trading
- Persons subject to international sanctions
- Previously banned VotePapa users
- Individuals under active investigation for financial crimes
Stricter Than Stock Exchanges
Traditional insider trading doctrine was designed for securities markets where "material non-public information" typically comes from corporate insiders. Event markets are different — the universe of people who might possess relevant information is much broader.
A politician knows their own policy decisions before they're announced. An athlete knows about their injury before the team reports it. An election official knows about logistical changes before voters do.
That's why VotePapa's restricted persons policy goes further than what stock exchanges require. We proactively identify and restrict categories of individuals who are likely to possess non-public information relevant to our markets — even if they haven't technically committed a violation yet.