Australian gambling regulator bans prediction platform Polymarket
Predictions platform Polymarket is one of four gambling operators to have been banned by the Australian Communications and Media Authority after it was found to be illegally targeting Australian users.
On 13 August the regulator released a list of four “illegal online gambling sites” that it has ordered internet providers in the country to block; Slot Mafia, Top Aussie Pokies, Spinanga, and Polymarket. This now takes the list of banned websites to 1296.
Polymarket is a hybrid platform that combines gambling and cryptocurrency. It allows customers to bet on markets by predicting the outcomes of various events, such as political elections and sports.
Australia has joined France, Switzerland, and Belgium in banning the platform.
An investigation by independent Australian news site Crikey found that Polymarket paid social media influencers to promote betting on the 2025 Australian federal election.
Investigators have found that Polymarket and the other three gambling operators were offering gambling products in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
Under the Telecommunications Act 1997, internet service providers in Australia are obliged to block access to websites when requested to do so by the Australian Communications and Media Authority for reasons such as breaching the country’s Gambling Act.
Despite being banned in Australia, Polymarket is on its way to potentially becoming a regulated platform in the US after acquiring the Commodity Futures Trading Commission-licensed financial exchange and clearing house QCEX for US$112 million.
Dig deeper
2025/01/13: Singapore bans online prediction site Polymarket
2025/04/16: Australian gambling regulator blocks four illegal gambling sites
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