Authorities aim to enforce existing gambling laws while protecting minors and limiting unauthorized gambling
A Buenos Aires court has ordered a nationwide block of Polymarket, the crypto-based prediction market, citing unauthorized gambling. The ruling, dated March 11, directs Argentina’s communications regulator, ENACOM, to prevent access to the platform and its variants. Internet service providers are required to comply with and report any technical issues to the court.
Mercado de predicciones: la Justicia porteña bloqueó el acceso a Polymarket en todo el territorio argentino.
la decisión de la Justicia porteña llegó apenas días después de que Polymarket quedara envuelta en una fuerte controversia en el ámbito local. La semana pasada, minutos…
— Impuestos&Equidad (@ImpuestosyE) March 16, 2026
The investigation began after the Buenos Aires City Lottery (LOTBA) raised concerns about Polymarket operating without proper authorization. Prosecutor Juan Rozas, heading the city’s Specialized Gaming Prosecutor’s Office (FEJA), opened the case, focusing on the platform’s lack of age and identity verification for users. Authorities highlighted the risk that minors could place bets without restriction.
In addition to blocking the website, the court instructed Google and Apple to remove Polymarket’s mobile apps from their respective stores in Argentina. Existing users are also restricted from accessing the platform, though reports indicate some are considering VPNs as a workaround. The measure specifically stems from a city-level court rather than national authorities.
Polymarket has previously faced scrutiny over its inflation-related prediction markets, which closely mirrored official statistics from Argentina’s government. Critics raised concerns about potential insider trading, highlighting broader regulatory tensions surrounding prediction markets. Polymarket has not commented publicly on the ruling.
Argentina joins several countries in limiting access to prediction markets, following actions in the Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal, and Ukraine. In Latin America, Colombia warned Polymarket of unauthorized operations in 2025.
Legal experts note that regulators are increasingly focused on the real-world effects of these platforms. If users are effectively betting on outcomes, the activity is treated as gambling regardless of the crypto or “game” label.
