Indonesia blocks Polymarket over online betting concerns

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital blocked access to the crypto-native prediction market Polymarket on Friday, citing national gambling laws and saying the platform facilitates betting. The ministry announced it will trace social media accounts linked to Polymarket and intends to block other services suspected of offering similar prediction-market betting.

Alexander Sabar, director general of Digital Space Supervision, described Polymarket's activities as “betting and speculation on uncertain outcomes,” and the ministry said the measures are meant to protect the public, especially younger digital users, from financial losses and legal violations.

Polymarket attracted attention in Indonesia after users opened contracts predicting when President Prabowo Subianto would be “out as president.” The market launched on May 21, a day after Prabowo announced plans to centralize control over key commodity exports including coal and palm oil. Prabowo’s current term runs through 2029.

Gambling is illegal under Indonesian law, and authorities have increased enforcement against online betting platforms and unregulated financial products offered through social and digital channels. The ministry described the action as part of a wider campaign to curb online wagering and services that may operate outside local regulations.

Regulators in other countries have taken related actions. In Brazil, authorities moved against Polymarket and Kalshi in April, citing failures to comply with local derivatives rules and concerns about investor protection; officials reported banning roughly 28 betting sites. Argentina ordered a nationwide restriction after a court directed internet service providers and app stores to block access, saying the platform operated as an unlicensed betting system without adequate identity or age verification. In the United States, state regulators in Nevada and Washington have argued some event contracts amount to unlicensed gambling, and a federal appeals panel in May allowed state enforcement actions to proceed. Japan enforces limits on political betting and related prediction contracts under national law.

Polymarket did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company has been pursuing international expansion, including outreach to markets where regulators limit political or betting-related prediction products.

Prediction markets let users buy and sell contracts tied to real-world events, with payouts determined by outcomes. Their legal status varies by jurisdiction, and regulators have cited risks related to investor protection, market integrity and insufficient identity and age verification when moving to restrict or ban such services.