Why Indonesia Banned Polymarket and What It Means for Crypto Prediction Markets

TLDR

• Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs blocked Polymarket, classifying it as illegal online gambling under national law.
• Director General Alexander Sabar said using blockchain or crypto does not change the fact that users are wagering on uncertain outcomes.
• The ban follows a Polymarket contract predicting when President Prabowo Subianto would leave office, launched just after he announced major policy changes.
• Indonesia joins Brazil, Argentina, India, Singapore, and others in restricting or banning the platform.
• A U.S. court also recently rejected bids by Polymarket and Kalshi to stop gambling enforcement actions in Nevada and Washington.

---

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has blocked Polymarket, the crypto-based prediction market, calling it illegal online gambling. The move is part of a growing international crackdown on the platform.

LATEST: 🇮🇩 Indonesia has blocked Polymarket over online gambling laws, joining Brazil and Argentina in restricting the prediction market platform. pic.twitter.com/9MwzJ1WiZ0

— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) May 25, 2026

Polymarket lets users trade contracts tied to real-world events — elections, crypto prices, sports, and political outcomes. But authorities in multiple countries say that is just betting by another name.

Why Indonesia Acted Now

The ban came shortly after a Polymarket contract appeared predicting when Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto would leave office. His term runs until 2029. The contract launched on May 21, one day after Prabowo announced plans to centralize control of key commodity exports including coal and palm oil.

Director General of Digital Space Supervision Alexander Sabar said the platform involves “betting and speculation on uncertain outcomes,” putting it in direct violation of Indonesian law. He added that using blockchain technology or crypto assets does not change what the platform is doing.

The ministry said it had cut off access to Polymarket and begun tracing all affiliated social media accounts. It said it would look to block other similar platforms too.

Officials said the goal was to protect the public, especially younger digital users, from financial losses and legal trouble.

A Global Pattern of Bans

Indonesia is far from alone. The ministry said Singapore, Brazil, and India have all blocked Polymarket. Taiwan, Thailand, China, and Japan have imposed restrictions under local law. Ukraine has also banned it with no path back.

Brazil moved against both Polymarket and rival platform Kalshi in April. Regulators said the platforms failed to meet local derivatives trading rules. Finance Minister Dario Durigan said around 28 betting platforms were banned as part of a wider crackdown.

Argentina ordered a nationwide block in March. A Buenos Aires court directed internet providers, Google, and Apple to restrict access. Authorities said the site operated as an unlicensed betting system with poor identity and age verification.

India blocked Polymarket after classifying it as prohibited online money gaming. Kalshi also faces scrutiny there.

In the United States, Polymarket is under a different kind of pressure. On May 22, a Ninth Circuit court rejected bids by Kalshi and Polymarket to halt gambling enforcement actions in Nevada and Washington. State authorities argue that sports-event contracts amount to unlicensed gambling.

Polymarket is still pursuing approval in Japan by 2030, though strict gambling laws there limit most forms of betting to state-sanctioned activities.

The Indonesian ministry urged citizens not to take part in any digital betting, including platforms that use crypto assets. It said it would continue working with law enforcement to monitor similar services.