Czech Republic Enforces ISP Block on Polymarket
HighlightsÂ
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The Czech Republic bans Polymarket and orders ISPs to take action, calling it unauthorized gambling activities.
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European regulators issued a joint statement highlighting a range of consumer protection and market integrity concerns linked to these platforms.
The Czech Ministry of Finance has officially added the decentralised prediction market software Polymarket to its list of unauthorised internet games, requiring internet service providers nationwide to block access to the platform within 15 days in accordance with national law.
The announcement, made on Tuesday, signalled that the Czech Republic had joined a broader European effort to tighten oversight of prediction markets.
The Czech Ministry of Finance said in a statement that Polymarket’s offerings fall within the scope of unauthorised gambling activities under Czech legislation.
Research emphasised that Polymarket is expected to have managed approximately $220 billion in volume in 2025. In this, each month’s turnover ranged between $10 billion and $11 billion. These figures initiated regulatory measures for formal oversight.
The Czech Institute for Gambling Regulation pointed to two main issues about whether prediction markets qualify as gambling, echoing concerns raised by regulators and academics.
The ministry raised concerns about the potential for outcome manipulation and the misuse of confidential or non-public information.
Over the last few years, lawmakers of multiple countries, including Germany, Belgium, Romania, Switzerland, Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Spain, and Ukraine, have either restricted or blocked access to Polymarket.
Nine European regulators made a combined effort in June to crack down on unlicensed prediction markets.
In their unified statement, they have also outlined several risks that these platforms pose to consumer protection and market integrity.
For more information, Refer Here!
The announcement, made on Tuesday, signalled that the Czech Republic had joined a broader European effort to tighten oversight of prediction markets.
The Czech Ministry of Finance said in a statement that Polymarket’s offerings fall within the scope of unauthorised gambling activities under Czech legislation.
Research emphasised that Polymarket is expected to have managed approximately $220 billion in volume in 2025. In this, each month’s turnover ranged between $10 billion and $11 billion. These figures initiated regulatory measures for formal oversight.
The Czech Institute for Gambling Regulation pointed to two main issues about whether prediction markets qualify as gambling, echoing concerns raised by regulators and academics.
The ministry raised concerns about the potential for outcome manipulation and the misuse of confidential or non-public information.
Over the last few years, lawmakers of multiple countries, including Germany, Belgium, Romania, Switzerland, Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Spain, and Ukraine, have either restricted or blocked access to Polymarket.
Nine European regulators made a combined effort in June to crack down on unlicensed prediction markets.
In their unified statement, they have also outlined several risks that these platforms pose to consumer protection and market integrity.
For more information, Refer Here!
