Ukraine restricts access to the Polymarket platform: what you need to know

The National Communications Regulatory Commission of Ukraine (NCRC) has officially restricted access to the Polymarket forecast website. The measure is part of a broader effort to strengthen oversight of unregulated betting platforms operating in the country.

On January 12, 2026, the Ukrainian authorities added the Polymarket domain to the register of prohibited Internet resources. According to Forbes Ukraine, this decision is based on Decree No. 695, which obliges communication service providers to block access to gambling sites that do not have an official license in the country.

Key points of this article:

• Ukraine’s National Communications Regulatory Commission has restricted access to Polymarket, a controversial forecasting platform.
• Despite this ban, the financial volume of bets on geopolitical events in Ukraine reached record highs, which caused outrage among the local population.

Regulation motivated by the legal framework of gambling Polymarket works on a model forecast market where users buy and sell “stocks” based on the outcome of future events. Although the platform positions itself as a data analytics and forecasting tool based on the Polygon blockchain, the Ukrainian regulator classifies it as gambling activity.

Lack of local license is the main legal reason for this block. However, the application of this measure remains uneven: according to network operators, some Ukrainian users can still access the site, while for others access is already completely restricted.

🇺🇦 Ukraine has blocked access to Polymarket due to the lack of a gambling license. pic.twitter.com/oYoeFq8RPz

— Journal du Coin (@LeJournalDuCoin) January 12, 2026

Record volume of bets on geopolitical issues In addition to the purely administrative aspect, attention was drawn to the financial volume generated by the events in Ukraine. By the end of 2025, the platform had completed approx 240 forecast markets related to Ukraine the total amount of which exceeded 270 million dollars (according to Forbes).

Other active bets, in the amount of more than 140 million dollars dealing with sensitive topics such as the results of specific battles or strategic developments on the front.

For example, in the USA, a trader on Polymarket recently caused a sensation by winning over 400,000 dollars in two bets on US intervention in the affairs of Venezuela and forced withdrawal Nicolas Maduro until January 31.

This account, created on December 27, made a bet of 35,000 dollars, when the probability of intervention in the affairs of Venezuela was evaluated only in 6% . In less than a day, this user turned his bet into a fortune, raising questions about the possibility insider trading .

This monetization of events related to the conflict caused sharp criticism in the local media, which increased the pressure on the authorities to take measures against the platform.

Polymarket faces challenges of global compliance WITH estimated at 9 billion dollars Polymarket has become a major player in the crypto sector, leading the so-called trend of prediction markets. However, Shane Coplan’s company is facing increasing hostility from regulators.

This block in Ukraine follows similar restrictions introduced in other jurisdictions, such as France with the National Gambling Authority (ANJ). These measures highlight the difficulty of integrating decentralized forecasting platforms into national legal frameworks governing betting and financial markets.