Polymarket in trouble. Hundreds of thousands of euros in fines every week and business ban

The Dutch gambling regulator has ordered Polymarket to immediately cease operations in the country. The website, which allows betting on election results and political events, operates without a license. He faces a fine of PLN 420,000. euros a week, and then further sanctions.

The Dutch gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) has found that the American Polymarket is conducting illegal gambling activities in the Netherlands. The platform allows users to bet on election results, political decisions and the development of armed conflicts. In recent months, bets on the 2025 parliamentary elections have aroused particular controversy, with bettors from the Netherlands placing a total of tens of millions of dollars.

Polymarket bills itself as “the world's largest prediction marketplace”. It acts as an intermediary between users who buy and sell shares of forecasts of specific events. The company claims that it does not engage in gambling, but offers tools to predict the future. However, the Dutch regulator is of the opinion that betting on the results of political and social events meets the definition of gambling and requires a license.

If the service does not comply with the decision, he faces a fine of PLN 420,000. euros per week, up to a maximum of 840,000 euro, followed by additional financial sanctions.

Polymarket is also illegal in Poland. The domains supporting the website are entered into the Register of Domains Used to Offer Gambling Games in violation of the Act, kept by the Ministry of Finance, which results in their blocking by Internet operators.

From Amsterdam Patryk Kulpok (PAP)

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