A whopping $7 million is at risk if Netflix decides not to release a rumored ‘secret episode’ of Stranger Things.
The beloved TV show finally came to an end at the new year with the release of the final instalment of its fifth season.
Since then, fans have been speculating as to whether a secret ninth episode might be about to drop.
The bizarre theory has been named ‘Conformity Gate’, which is all pinned on the idea that everything which happens in the penultimate and final eps are actually just a vision shown to Mike by Vecna.
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Now, it’s important not to hold our breaths on this one because it has more or less been debunked by Netflix.
But if it turns out to be false hope then people are set to lose out on $7 million.
This is because people have been betting on the outcome on Polymarket, which is a crypto-based betting site.
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This includes being able to bet on Stranger Things releasing a new episode but also to be able to bet on things such as whether Israel will strike Iran by the end of the month, who the Venezuelan leader will be at the end of 2026, and whether there will be a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the next few months.
The bets on Stranger Things releasing an episode nine clearly had fans thinking they could get ahead of the curve, with over $7,000,000 having been placed on a new episode releasing today.
How this works is that, if there is no episode by 11.59PM ET, Polymarket will keep all $7,000,000.
There is also a separate betting line with $360,000 having been bet suggesting that there will be a new episode by January 31.
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The comments are full of people referencing the viral theory, with one popular comment saying: “#conformitygate gang lets do this.”
Another says: “I’ve never willingly threw away so much money before... but tiktok convinced me.”
The odds currently stand at 2% for the episode to be released in the next 12 hours but even that would be considered hopeful by many.
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Even if you did think another episode was set to be announced, many believed that today was simply when it was going to be announced, not when it was going to be released.
Unfortunately, it seems like the most likely outcome by far is the betting site taking everyone’s money in the next 12 hours, which leads to a really important life lesson: never bet on something because of a TikTok trend.
Please gamble responsibly. For help, support and advice about problem gambling, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline on 1-800-GAMBLER, 24/7.