Indonesia Blocks Polymarket Citing Online Gambling Laws
- On May 22, 2026, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs blocked Polymarket due to online gambling laws.
- The block followed a market on Polymarket about President Prabowo Subianto potentially leaving office before his term ends in 2029.
- Indonesian authorities have frozen over 33,000 bank accounts in a crackdown on online betting activities in the same year.
- Polymarket is classified as an online gambling platform under Indonesian law, which prohibits wagering on uncertain future events.
- Despite DNS-level restrictions, Indonesian users can still access Polymarket through VPNs.
Indonesia’s action against Polymarket reflects its broader efforts to eliminate online gambling within the country, which includes blocking millions of domains and freezing numerous bank accounts linked to such activities. The ban aims to protect the public from financial losses associated with speculative betting.
This move highlights Indonesia’s strict stance against any form of gambling, including platforms using decentralized infrastructure like prediction markets. The block is part of ongoing national enforcement efforts coordinated across multiple agencies. (Source)
