Netherlands Regulator Moves Against Polymarket
HighlightsÂ
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The Dutch gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has instructed Polymarket to stop operations.Â
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Regulators in Nevada and Massachusetts have challenged whether sports and event contracts constitute illegal betting.
The Netherlands’ gaming regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit, has ordered Polymarket to halt operations, stating that the cryptocurrency-based prediction platform was operating without a license. It was announced on January 20, 2026, and reinstated on 17th February, mandating that the company halt activities immediately.
Failing to comply would result in a penalty of €420,000 ($493,968.30) per week, capped at €840,000 ($987,936.60).Â
The regulator found that Adventure One QSS Inc., the company that runs the Polymarket offering, was offering gambling services in violation of the Gaming Act. Article 1(1)(a) granting access to games of chance without prior approval.
Investigators have found that Netherlands users can access the website using a Dutch IP address, open accounts, deposit funds, and place wagers. They also found out that Dutch banks reportedly accept transactions. This reflects teh lack of technical measures to restrict access within the country.
Polymarket denied that it is another form of traditional gambling, stating that “Polymarket is a prediction market where users trade positions with each other; pricing and settlement come from market dynamics and protocol contract logic, not from a chance mechanism designed by the operator”.
However, the regulator disagreed with such statements. The factor to be considered here is whether players are competing for a benefit based on an uncertain future event beyond their control.
Ella Seijsener, director of licensing and supervision, stated that “Prediction markets are on the rise, including in the Netherlands. These types of companies offer bets that are not permitted in our market under any circumstances, not even by licence holders”.Â
Lately, the regulators from Nevada and Massachusetts have argued that  whether sports and event contracts constitute illegal betting.Â
For more information, Refer Here!
Failing to comply would result in a penalty of €420,000 ($493,968.30) per week, capped at €840,000 ($987,936.60).Â
The regulator found that Adventure One QSS Inc., the company that runs the Polymarket offering, was offering gambling services in violation of the Gaming Act. Article 1(1)(a) granting access to games of chance without prior approval.
Investigators have found that Netherlands users can access the website using a Dutch IP address, open accounts, deposit funds, and place wagers. They also found out that Dutch banks reportedly accept transactions. This reflects teh lack of technical measures to restrict access within the country.
Polymarket denied that it is another form of traditional gambling, stating that “Polymarket is a prediction market where users trade positions with each other; pricing and settlement come from market dynamics and protocol contract logic, not from a chance mechanism designed by the operator”.
However, the regulator disagreed with such statements. The factor to be considered here is whether players are competing for a benefit based on an uncertain future event beyond their control.
Ella Seijsener, director of licensing and supervision, stated that “Prediction markets are on the rise, including in the Netherlands. These types of companies offer bets that are not permitted in our market under any circumstances, not even by licence holders”.Â
Lately, the regulators from Nevada and Massachusetts have argued that  whether sports and event contracts constitute illegal betting.Â
For more information, Refer Here!
