Indonesia blocks Polymarket, calling prediction market online gambling in disguise
Indonesia blocked Polymarket, saying crypto and blockchain do not change its status as illegal online gambling.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Indonesia’s digital ministry cut access to Polymarket and signaled it may target similar services, arguing that betting on uncertain outcomes stays gambling even when crypto or blockchain is used.
Indonesia shut off Polymarket because it thinks the service is really a betting game, even if it uses crypto instead of cash.
Polymarket lets people guess on things like elections or crypto prices. Indonesia says changing the clothes does not change the game, like calling a slot machine a “smart calculator.”
The bigger lesson is that some governments see these apps as gambling, not investing. That can make it harder for the apps to work in more countries.
Analysis
What happened
Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs blocked access to Polymarket, describing the crypto prediction market as illegal online gambling under local law. The ministry said it also plans to trace affiliated social media accounts and may restrict related digital channels.
The regulator’s view
Alexander Sabar, the ministry’s director general for digital space supervision, said platforms that let users wager money on uncertain outcomes remain gambling products even if they use blockchain technology or crypto assets. In the ministry’s framing, the technology layer does not change the underlying activity.
Why Polymarket is in scope
Polymarket lets users trade contracts tied to real-world events such as elections, sports, crypto prices and political outcomes. That model has made it one of the largest crypto prediction markets, but regulators in multiple places have questioned whether it is closer to gambling than to a financial market.
Regional pressure is building
The article says Indonesia’s action fits into a wider Asian crackdown. It notes that India recently blocked Polymarket after classifying similar platforms as prohibited online money gaming. The ministry also said Singapore, Brazil and India have blocked Polymarket, while Taiwan, Thailand, China and Japan have imposed restrictions under local law. It separately said Polymarket is blocked in Ukraine.
The ministry warned Indonesians not to access or take part in digital betting activity, including markets using crypto assets, citing possible financial losses and violations of local law. The practical takeaway is that prediction markets may face a growing regulatory split: some jurisdictions may treat them as useful information markets, while others will treat them as gambling, regardless of the token rails underneath.
Key points
- Indonesia blocked Polymarket and said it counts as illegal online gambling under local law.
- The ministry said blockchain and crypto do not change the gambling character of the platform.
- Polymarket’s contracts cover events like elections, sports, crypto prices and political outcomes.
- The ministry said it may target related accounts and similar services if they facilitate online gambling.
- The move fits into a broader crackdown on prediction markets in Asia.
