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- Czech authorities have designated Polymarket as an illegal gambling platform under national law.
- Internet service providers have been ordered to ban people from accessing the platform within 15 days.
- The decision follows similar developments in several European jurisdictions.
- The case highlights the growing regulatory divide in how blockchain-based prediction markets should be regulated.
Czech Republic Orders ISP Block on Polymarket
The Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic has published a detailed List of Illegal Online Games, effective July 13, 2026, adding Polymarket to the list of gamblers who appear to be providing gambling services without the licenses required under Czech law.
The revised register was published by the Ministry of Finance’s administrative department and Gambling under Section 84d(5) of the Czech Gambling Act. Under the law, Czech internet service providers (ISPs) must block posted websites within 15 days of publication.
Under the decision, Internet service providers (ISPs) must block access to the platform for users in the Czech Republic within 15 days.
The judges put Polymarket together with other online operators that the Czech authorities consider to be providing gambling services without a license.
Officials Reject Polymarket Business
The decision reflects the Czech government’s view that the prediction markets should be regulated according to economic conditions rather than their technology.
Officials, including representatives of the Institute for Gambling Regulation, say that users are actively wagering money on uncertain events in the future regardless of whether the exit is organized as a blockchain contract.
Officials also cited a number of complaints, including the absence of formal consumer protection, anti-money laundering and regulatory oversight measures required under Czech gambling law.
For managers, changing the term betting to contracts does not change the rules of the event when participants invest in uncertain outcomes.
One of the European Ruins
The Czech Republic is the latest European jurisdiction to take action against Polymarket.
Similar restrictions or pressures have already been established in:
- France
- Belgium
- Germany
- Spain
- Italy
- Romania
- The Netherlands
Outside of Europe, regulators in India and Argentina have also moved against the platform in 2026, citing concerns about licensing requirements and consumer protection.
The increasing number of enforcement actions suggests that regulators are increasingly applying existing gambling laws to the prediction markets rather than creating new crypto-related laws.
Not All Authorities Do The Same
Although enforcement has increased across Europe, enforcement mechanisms are not uniform.
Earlier this year, Gibraltar announced plans for a voluntary system that would regulate the betting markets rather than simply regulating them as gambling or money laundering.
This approach highlights a major debate facing regulators around the world: whether blockchain-based prediction markets should be integrated into existing regulatory frameworks or regulated by regulations consistent with their hybrid nature.
The Czech decision shows that, for the time being, most European regulators continue to follow the established gambling rules by creating new ways to regulate betting markets.
