TLDR
- Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry has blocked access to Polymarket, classifying it as online gambling
- Director General Alexander Sabar said the platform’s prediction market activities violate Indonesian law
- The ministry is also tracking Polymarket-affiliated social media accounts to enforce the ban
- Countries including Singapore, Brazil, India, Taiwan, Thailand, China, and Japan have also restricted the platform
- The government warned citizens to avoid speculative digital betting, including crypto-related transactions, and said it will work with police to monitor platforms
Indonesia has blocked access to Polymarket after the government classified the crypto prediction market as an online gambling service. The country’s Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry announced the decision as part of a wider crackdown on speculative digital betting.
Director General of Digital Space Supervision Alexander Sabar confirmed the move in a statement to reporters in Jakarta. He said the government will not allow any form of online gambling to operate in Indonesia.
Sabar said Polymarket’s activities involve betting and speculation on uncertain events. He said this violates Indonesian law, regardless of how the platform presents itself.
Why Indonesia Classified Polymarket as Gambling
Polymarket operates as a prediction market, a type of platform where users trade contracts based on the outcomes of future events. These events can include elections, economic trends, or sporting results. The platform uses blockchain technology and crypto assets.
However, the Indonesian ministry said that in practice, Polymarket functions as a platform for monetary betting on outcomes. Because of this, the government said it falls under the country’s gambling laws.
The ministry said it has also traced social media accounts affiliated with Polymarket. Officials said this step was taken to ensure access control across multiple platforms.
The goal, according to the ministry, is to protect the public. Officials said they are especially focused on younger digital users who may encounter the platform online.
The government also said it would block access to similar services suspected of facilitating prediction market practices. This suggests the crackdown could extend beyond Polymarket to other platforms operating in the same space.
Other Countries That Have Restricted Polymarket
Indonesia is not the first country to take action against Polymarket. According to Sabar, Singapore, Brazil, and India have all officially blocked the platform.
Taiwan, Thailand, China, and Japan have also imposed restrictions under their own national laws. The ministry said these countries view prediction markets as comparable to online gambling services.
Indonesian officials said this international precedent supports their own decision to block the platform. The government framed the move as consistent with a global trend toward regulating or banning prediction markets.
The ministry issued a public warning urging citizens not to engage in speculative digital betting. This includes crypto-related transactions tied to prediction markets.
Officials said users should not view these platforms as harmless trading tools. The government’s position is that the activity involved is gambling, and participation could lead to financial losses and regulatory violations.
The ministry said it plans to work with police and other agencies to monitor digital platforms going forward. The stated goal is to keep Indonesia’s digital landscape safe and productive.
Other online gambling platforms are also under review by the ministry. The government has signaled that further blocking actions could follow as it continues its enforcement efforts.
Polymarket has not publicly responded to the Indonesian ban as of the time of this report.
