Argentina has ordered a nationwide ban on Polymarket, citing consumer protection concerns and adding the country to a growing list of jurisdictions blocking the prediction market platform.
The decision follows suspicions that Polymarket may have anticipated Argentina’s February inflation data, reportedly reversing its prediction trend minutes before the official release.
“Sources from the Public Prosecutor’s Office told Clarín that the blocking order has already been issued, but—due to how the internet’s structure and Argentine law operate—ENACOM must notify all internet service providers (ISPs) so they can enforce the final block,”
Local media reported.
A Buenos Aires court has instructed telecom regulator ENACOM to coordinate with internet providers, while Google and Apple have been ordered to remove Polymarket’s apps from local app stores.
Authorities raised concerns over crypto payments, credit card deposits and the absence of age or identity verification, warning the platform could allow minors to participate in unregulated betting activity, and following the decision Polymarket activity was unchanged at $0.
The case was driven by complaints from local gambling bodies and supported by prosecutors, who concluded the platform functioned as an online betting system rather than a neutral prediction market.
The move aligns with broader global scrutiny, with countries such as Colombia and the Netherlands taking similar action, while US lawmakers push for tighter regulation of event-based contracts tied to sensitive real-world outcomes.