Ukraine officially blocks Polymarket due to unlicensed gambling operations

The Ukrainian government has officially implemented nationwide access restrictions on the decentralized prediction market platform Polymarket starting from January 12, 2026.

Regulators have determined that the prediction betting services provided by Polymarket within Ukraine constitute unlicensed gambling activities, violating local gambling laws, and lacking the necessary local operating licenses. Users must be immediately restricted from accessing this domain and related resources.

The total trading volume of prediction markets related to Ukraine on the Polymarket platform has exceeded hundreds of millions of dollars, with approximately $270 million in settled Ukraine-related bets. The platform has previously sparked controversy for opening betting markets related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Currently, some Ukrainian users report inconsistent enforcement of the blockade; some can bypass restrictions via certain networks or VPNs. However, authorities have explicitly classified the platform as an illegal gambling tool.

As a leading global crypto prediction market platform, Polymarket has previously faced similar access restrictions in countries such as France and Germany. Ukraine’s blockade further highlights the divergence and tightening trend among global regulators regarding the “gambling vs. information market” nature of prediction markets.

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