Forbes drew criticism after a prediction prompt appeared in its coverage of a Shreveport, Louisiana, shooting that killed eight children. The prompt asked readers to predict whether Congress would pass gun-safety legislation by December 31, 2026. It used virtual tokens, not real-money wagers, but critics objected to the feature’s placement beside coverage of the killings. Forbes later removed it.
What appeared in the article
Forbes published Siladitya Ray’s report, “Louisiana Man Kills 8 Children In Deadliest Mass Shooting Since 2024,” on April 20, 2026. The article reported that eight children, including seven of the suspected shooter’s children, were killed across three locations in Shreveport. It identified the suspected shooter as Shamar Elkins and reported that police killed him after a pursuit.
Coverage of the page said an embedded ForbesPredict prompt asked readers to predict whether “Congress WILL pass new gun safety legislation before 31st December 2026.” Straight Arrow News reported that it appeared just after a description of the suspected shooter. The controversy concerned this interactive feature and its context, not the underlying reporting about the deaths.
Did readers risk real money?
No. Forbes described ForbesPredict as a prediction platform with “no money at stake.” Follow-up coverage described its wager coins as virtual and without monetary value. The cited accounts therefore support describing the feature as a virtual-token prediction game or widget—not a real-money bet offered in this article.
#1 Best Overall
- The game where _______ minds think alike!
- Prepare yourself for Blank Slate, a game of addicting predictions! How well can you put your finger on what everyone's thinking?
- Pick a Word Cue card, write the word you think best completes the phrase, and try to match it to anther player's word without giving a single hint
- Easy to learn, quick to play, and fun for the whole family; just grab a slate, write a word, and get ready to make a match. Great for large groups or small gatherings!
- Includes: Scoreboard, 8 dry-erase slates, 250 doubled-sided word cue cards, rules
Its wager-style wording and mechanics help explain why some coverage and critics called it betting. But that shorthand should not obscure the distinction: the available reporting does not establish that readers staked cash or could win money through this prompt.
Why the placement drew criticism
The prompt invited readers to treat a question about future gun-safety legislation as a prediction game while it sat within a report about children killed in a mass shooting. Critics objected to that juxtaposition and the timing of an interactive wager-style feature alongside such coverage. Cryptocurrency journalist and researcher Molly White called the placement “Ghoulish” in a Bluesky post, as reported by Futurism and Straight Arrow News.
Rank #2
- SHAPE DESTINY ITSELF: Step into the role of a gifted Foreteller in All In – Predictions, a fast-paced card game where strategy, intuition, and timing decide who controls fate.
- POKER-INSPIRED STRATEGY: Combine hand management, bluffing, and prediction in a clever twist on classic poker mechanics—only one prophecy will come true each round!
- THINK AHEAD, READ YOUR RIVALS: Play cards, manipulate probabilities, and guess who holds the strongest hand as you fight for control of the pot and ultimate victory.
- BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED COMPONENTS: Includes 54 cards, 50 runes, 5 player aid cards, 5 prediction tokens, 4 frame pieces, and a rulebook, all designed to immerse players in a world of mystic competition.
- PERFECT FOR GAME NIGHTS: Ideal for 2–5 players, ages 10 and up, with quick, replayable sessions that blend luck, skill, and deduction—great for both casual and competitive players.
Those accounts document online criticism, but they do not establish that all Forbes readers—or the public as a whole—shared that view. The reviewed coverage provides no representative poll measuring sentiment about the incident.
What Forbes said and did
Axios later reported a Forbes spokesperson’s explanation: “We have established guidelines to prevent markets from appearing on certain topics, and this market was removed for not meeting those standards.” The spokesperson added: “As we continue to refine and learn on ForbesPredict, we will adapt our controls with stricter checks and safeguards.” The widget was removed from the story.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rank #3
- PREDICTION GAME: Eye to Eye is all about predicting what others will say when listing 3 items for a given topic, and will keep you and your friends entertained for hours learning what you have in common or maybe not so much.
- LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER: This communication game has a diverse range of thought-provoking cards, that fosters meaningful conversations, strengthens relationships, and builds social connections all while having fun!
- VERSATILE: This game is suitable for players of all ages and abilities, which makes it perfect for family game night. Eye to Eye offers multiple game modes and expansion packs, ensuring everyone will have fun all night long.
- GREAT FOR TRAVEL: Take Eye to Eye with you on your next trip as the perfect travel game! It combines learning with entertainment, making it an enjoyable activity for parties, gatherings or family vacations.
- HOW TO PLAY: Players read a category card aloud, then write down three items that relate to it. All players share their answers & if your answers are unique then you receive penalty points. If you have the fewest penalty blocks at the end, you win!
Axios also reported that the spokesperson said ForbesPredict was in beta and that the article had been viewed by 3% of Forbes’ audience. That percentage is a company-reported article-view figure, not an independent measure of how many people saw or objected to the widget.
What ForbesPredict was designed to do
Forbes announced its partnership with Axiom to launch ForbesPredict on January 23, 2026. The company presented the product as an audience-engagement and loyalty feature: readers make predictions, results aggregate in real time, and participation is tracked by accuracy rather than money. Forbes said the resulting signals could help the newsroom understand audience expectations and inform storytelling.
Rank #4
- The Voting Game Card Game: The Game About Your Friends + After Dark Expansion Set
- The Voting Game is a party game that uncovers the hilarious truth behind your friendships.
- Play again and again - Gameplay varies dramatically based on who you're playing with.
- Get to know each other - Personal stories are often shared after a revealing vote.
- Perfect idea for White Elephant and Secret Santa gift exchange! Our games make great Stocking Stuffers and funny Christmas gifts for men, teens, adults and friends!
Forbes Chief Innovation Officer Nina Gould described the aim as deeper engagement: “Our response isn’t to chase scale, but to deepen engagement. ForbesPredict gives our audience a reason to return, participate and invest their thinking — not just consume headlines.” Jeff Yam, Axiom’s CEO and co-founder and a Forbes Executive Board Member, said: “We’re building the prediction layer for media.” These statements describe the companies’ intended use; they do not independently demonstrate that the platform achieved those goals.
Straight Arrow News also relayed Gould’s account that participation could help create reader segments and support advertising, and described her framing of the feature as the “gamification of following a story.” That business rationale helps explain why the tool was embedded in journalism, but it does not resolve whether this particular placement was appropriate.
Best Value
- BECOME AN ART CURATOR: The International Art Gala is inviting leading galleries and their Curators to contribute classic art pieces towards their event. It's time for these savvy art connoisseurs to put their money where their mouths are and predict which works of art will attract the largest crowds and inspire them.
- STRATEGY BOARD GAME: Classic Art is a competitive game of prediction in which players take on the role of Curators striving to assemble the best art collections. Each Season, players take turns predicting the demand of various collections of artworks that populate 1 of 5 corresponding Exhibitions: Etching & Engraving, Still Life, Sculpture, Portrait, and Landscape.
- COMPETE TO MAKE THE MOST ACCURATE PREDUCTIONS: At the end of each Season, players score Prestige based on their successful exhibition predictions. The more accurate their predictions, the more Prestige the player earns. At the end of the game, scores are tallied and the player with the highest Prestige wins!
- FUN GAME FOR FAMILY GAME NIGHT: Exciting game mechanics and cards that feature real works of classic art make this a great choice for both art enthusiasts and fans of strategy games. A two player variant is included making it easier to play the game with just two players.
- NUMBER OF PLAYERS AND AVERAGE PLAYTIME: This game is made for 2 to 5 players and is suitable for ages 14 and older. Average playtime is approximately 30 minutes.
Why the distinction matters
This episode is not evidence that Forbes offered cash odds on the shooting or that readers paid to participate. It is a case in which a virtual-token prediction prompt about legislation appeared in an emotionally grave news context, prompting criticism and removal. The relevant questions are therefore both about mechanics—what users stake and whether anything of monetary value is involved—and editorial judgment: which subjects are suitable for prediction features, where those features appear, and what safeguards govern their placement.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
