Indonesia blocked Polymarket on May 22, 2026, citing online gambling laws. The ban followed a Polymarket market that allowed wagers on President Prabowo Subianto leaving office before his 2029 term ends. Indonesian authorities froze more than 33,000 bank accounts in 2026 as part of a broader crackdown on online betting. Komdigi said it would not allow any form of online gambling in Indonesia and that betting and speculation over inconclusive events violate Indonesian law regardless of blockchain or cryptocurrency infrastructure. Polymarket was classified as an online gambling platform operating as a prediction market. The ministry also traced and restricted affiliated social media accounts and noted that DNS-level blocks can be bypassed using VPNs.
"The government will not allow any form of online gambling in Indonesia, he said, adding that activities involving betting and speculation over events that are inconclusive violate Indonesian law regardless of whether they use blockchain or cryptocurrency infrastructure."
"Komdigi classified Polymarket as an online gambling platform operating under the cover of a prediction market. Under Indonesian law, wagering on uncertain future events, including politics, sports, and economic outcomes, meets the legal threshold for gambling."
"The ministry said it is also tracing and restricting social media accounts affiliated with Polymarket to enforce a more complete ban across platforms. Officials said the block was intended to protect the public, particularly younger users, from financial losses tied to speculative activity."
"Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs blocked Polymarket on May 22, 2026, citing online gambling laws. The ban followed a Polymarket market on President Prabowo Subianto leaving office before his 2029 term ends."
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