A court in Argentina has ordered a nationwide block of the major crypto-based prediction market platform Polymarket over unauthorized gambling.
Argentina’s national communications and media regulator, Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (ENACOM), received a court order to block access to the Polymarket website and its variants across the country, according to a ruling dated March 11.
The order was issued by the Buenos Aires Court of First Instance in Criminal, Contravention and Minor Offenses No. 31, which is investigating Polymarket under Argentina’s Criminal Code for allegedly offering gambling services without authorization.
The judge asked ENACOM to carry out the measure either directly or through internet service providers (ISPs) and to promptly inform the court or the specialized gambling prosecutor’s office if technical or other obstacles prevent full compliance.
Buenos Aires regulator initiated the case
According to local media reports, the case was brought by the Buenos Aires City Lottery (LOTBA), the state-owned company that regulates gambling activities in the city.
After receiving a complaint from LOTBA about Polymarket’s alleged operation without authorization, prosecutor Juan Rozas, in charge of the City’s Specialized Gaming Prosecutor’s Office (FEJA), opened the investigation that led to the court order.
Authorities argued that Polymarket allowed users to place bets without sufficient identity and age verification, raising concerns that minors could access the platform.
“In practice, this meant that anyone — including children and adolescents — could access and start betting without any control,” the authorities reportedly said.
Inflation bets deepen scrutiny
In addition to instructing ENACOM to block access to Polymarket, the court reportedly ordered Google and Apple to remove and restrict the platform’s mobile applications on Android and iOS throughout Argentina, including for existing users.
Social media reports indicate users are discussing workarounds such as VPNs, while observers note that the order comes from a Buenos Aires city court rather than the national government.
The move adds to earlier scrutiny of Polymarket after its inflation-related prediction markets closely mirrored official data from Argentina’s statistics agency, reigniting concerns about potential insider trading, according to local reports.
Polymarket did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Cointelegraph.
Argentina’s action is the latest example of moves against prediction markets globally, with countries including the Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal and Ukraine taking similar steps to restrict access.
In Latin America, Colombia was among the first to take action, with its gambling regulator reportedly warning of Polymarket’s unauthorized operations in September 2025.
The growing regulatory pushback against prediction market platforms like Polymarket targets behavior, not crypto, according to law firm Icon.Partners.
Related: CFTC chair backs blockchain-based prediction markets as ‘truth machines’
“What we’re seeing in Argentina, and more broadly across Latin America, is regulators shifting focus from how these platforms are built to what they actually do,” a spokesperson for Icon.Partners said, adding:
“If users are effectively staking value on uncertain outcomes, regulators will tend to treat it as gambling. When something is marketed as a ‘game’ or ‘investment’ but in reality people are just betting on price movements — it’s the usual ‘economic reality’ lens.”
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