Ukraine blocks access to Polymarket over licensing issues
The Ukrainian regulator has ordered internet service providers to restrict the prediction market for operating without a local licence and hosting war-related wagers.
Ukraine.- The National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications (NCEC) has ordered the blocking of the decentralised prediction platform Polymarket. The decision follows a regulatory evaluation that classified the site’s activities as unlicensed gambling.
The enforcement action is based on Resolution No. 695, issued by the NCEC on December 10, 2025. This order requires local internet service providers to restrict access to the polymarket.com domain. The move came after PlayCity, the State Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, identified the platform as a non-compliant operator in an assessment dated November 27, 2025.
According to regulatory findings, Polymarket has been operating within the country without the mandatory gambling licence required under Ukrainian law. Beyond licensing issues, authorities expressed concern over the nature of the wagers hosted on the platform. Local media reports that over $270m in bets related to the ongoing war with Russia have been found on the platform.
Founded in 2020 as a decentralised platform on the Polygon blockchain and using the USDC stablecoin, Polymarket has long operated in a regulatory grey zone in many jurisdictions. In 2022, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reached a settlement with the company, prompting it to block US users.
Polymarket bought QCX LLC, a CFTC-registered derivatives exchange, last July and rebranded it as Polymarket US, restoring its access to the American market. However, it continues to face regulatory issues internationally. Singapore and Belgium have restricted its operations, and the German regulator recently issued a warning. It introduced geoblocking in France following an investigation by L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ).
