All news is verified and thoroughly reviewed by leading blockchain experts and seasoned industry insiders.
- Czech authorities have classified Polymarket as an unauthorized gambling platform under national law.
- Internet service providers have been ordered to block access to the platform within 15 days.
- This decision follows similar enforcement actions across several European jurisdictions.
- This case highlights the growing regulatory divide over how to oversee blockchain-based prediction markets.
Czech Republic requests ISP block from Polymarket
The Czech Ministry of Finance has officially published an updated list of unauthorized online games, as of July 13, 2026, adding Polymarket to the register of operators offering gambling services without the licenses required under Czech law.
The record was updated Published by the Procedural Schedules Department of the Ministry of Finance and regulation of gambling under Section 84D(5) of the Czech Gambling Act. By law, Czech Internet service providers (ISPs) must block access to sites on the list within 15 days of publication.
Under the decision, Internet service providers (ISPs) must restrict access to the platform for users in the Czech Republic within 15 days.
This ruling places Polymarket alongside other internet operators that the Czech authorities consider to be offering gambling services without obtaining a regulatory licence.
The authorities reject Polymarket’s business model
The decision reflects the Czech government’s view that prediction markets should be regulated according to their economic function rather than the underlying technology on which they depend.
Officials, including representatives of the Institute for Gambling Regulation, argue that users are effectively betting their money on uncertain future events regardless of whether transactions are structured as blockchain-based contracts.
Authorities also cited broader regulatory concerns, including the absence of locally adopted consumer protection measures, anti-money laundering safeguards, and regulatory oversight required under Czech gambling law.
For regulators, changing the terminology from bets to contracts does not change the legal nature of the activity when participants risk money on uncertain outcomes.
Part of a wider European campaign
The Czech Republic is the latest European jurisdiction to take action against Polymarket.
Similar restrictions or enforcement measures have already been introduced in:
- France
- Belgium
- Germany
- Spain
- Italy
- Romania
- Holland
Outside Europe, regulators in India and Argentina also moved against the platform during 2026, citing concerns about licensing requirements and consumer protection.
The growing number of enforcement actions indicates that regulators are increasingly applying existing gambling laws to prediction markets rather than creating new crypto-specific rules.
Not all jurisdictions follow the same approach
Although implementation has intensified in most parts of Europe, regulatory approaches are not uniform.
Earlier this year, Gibraltar announced plans for a dedicated framework to govern prediction markets rather than regulating them solely as gambling or financial derivatives.
This approach reflects a broader political debate facing regulators around the world: whether blockchain-based prediction markets should be integrated into existing legal categories or be subject to rules tailored to fit their hybrid structure.
The Czech decision demonstrates that, at present, many European regulatory bodies continue to prefer enforcing established gambling legislation over creating new regulatory frameworks for decentralized prediction markets.
