20.07.2026 16:11
The US-based prediction market platform Polymarket has been blocked in Turkey. The platform, where users can trade on the outcomes of politics, sports, and current events, was shut down on grounds of illegal betting.
The access ban is based on the decision of the General Directorate of the National Lottery Administration dated July 16, 2026, and numbered 2026/10. Polymarket operates as a prediction market where users buy and sell contracts tied to the outcomes of future events, ranging from elections to sports matches, economic data to current developments. Users purchase contracts on whether an event will occur, and if their predictions are correct, they make a profit.
The platform has grown rapidly over the past two years with billions of dollars in global transaction volume, drawing the attention of regulators over whether event contracts should be considered illegal gambling or unlicensed financial products. France also blocked access to Polymarket last week on the same grounds—illegal betting.
POLYMARKET'S BLOCKADE WAVE GROWS
Turkey has joined the growing list of countries taking action against the platform. France's National Gambling Authority recently ordered internet providers to block Polymarket. The Czech Republic's Ministry of Finance also added the platform to its list of unlicensed gambling sites, cutting off access. Switzerland's gambling supervisory authority and Bulgaria's Sofia regional court have also placed the platform on access restriction lists.
Access to Polymarket has previously been blocked in Portugal, Singapore, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, and Indonesia. Brazil imposed a comprehensive ban on prediction and betting platforms. According to the company's data, the platform currently faces geo-blocking in 36 regions.
MANIPULATION SUSPICIONS PROMPT REGULATORS TO ACT
Polymarket has drawn regulators' attention not only for its legal status but also for suspicions of manipulation in some bets. The French authority noted that some bets on the platform appeared fraudulent, with weather-based bets suggesting sensors may have been compromised. Following this, the Paris Prosecutor's Office's cybercrime unit launched an investigation. Scrutiny of the platform dates back to 2024. At that time, a French investor reportedly earned approximately $79 million by betting that Donald Trump would win the presidential election.
Prediction markets are also under the microscope of regulators in the US. Kentucky filed a lawsuit against five prediction market platforms, including Kalshi and Polymarket, alleging they operated unlicensed sports betting services. At least 17 other states followed suit. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued eight states for interfering with its exclusive authority over federally regulated event contracts.