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Where is Polymarket legal? Country-by-country status in 2026

No known restriction in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Nigeria, Kenya or South Africa; blocked in Spain, Argentina, Colombia, India and the Philippines.

By Matías MardonesUpdated on October 25, 20265 min read

It depends on the country. Polymarket has no known restriction in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and several other countries. Local authorities have ordered blocks in Spain, Argentina, Colombia, India and the Philippines. The US, UK, France, Brazil and others are close-only, and a handful of sanctioned regions are fully blocked. “No known restriction” is not the same as “regulated”: most of these countries have no specific rule either way.

The essentials

  • Restrictions come from two places: Polymarket’s official list (full block or close-only) and blocks ordered by local regulators or courts, which Polymarket does not list.
  • If your country is close-only or blocked, you should not open new positions.
  • Using a VPN to get around a block breaks Polymarket’s terms. We advise against it.

What each status means

Status What it means for you
No known restriction Polymarket does not restrict your country and no local block is known. It does not mean a law explicitly allows it.
Close-only Polymarket will not let you open new positions, only close existing ones.
Blocked by regulator or court A local authority ordered access blocked. Using it may conflict with local law.
Full block Polymarket does not serve the region because of US OFAC sanctions.

Source: Polymarket’s official geoblocking list and press coverage of local blocks.

Country Notes
Mexico Not regulated by SEGOB or the CNBV: a grey area
Peru No known regulatory statement
Chile The gaming regulator (SCJ) has not ruled
Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Guatemala, Dominican Republic No known block
Nigeria No known block
Kenya No known block
South Africa No known block

Blocked by local regulators or courts

Country Who and when
Spain DGOJ, 26 May 2026: order to internet providers and sanction proceedings
Argentina Court PCyF 31 of Buenos Aires, 11 March 2026: order to ENACOM, internet providers and app stores
Colombia Coljuegos, September 2025: order to internet providers, unevenly enforced
India May 2026: DNS block under Section 69A of the IT Act; Polymarket’s X account withheld in October 2026
Philippines PAGCOR, 14 May 2026: site added to its blocking list, enforced by Globe

Close-only and full blocks (Polymarket’s own list)

  • Close-only, web and API: Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Burundi, Brazil, Canada (BC, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec), Central African Republic, Congo (Kinshasa), Ethiopia, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Myanmar, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Somalia, Slovakia, South Sudan, Sudan, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
  • Close-only, web only: Ireland, Japan, Malta (sports), Netherlands, South Korea.
  • Full block (OFAC): Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk.

In the United States, polymarket.us operates as a separate entity.

Why Spain blocked Polymarket

On 26 May 2026, Spain’s gambling regulator, the DGOJ, ordered internet providers to block Polymarket and opened sanction proceedings. In Spain, promoting unlicensed operators is also sanctionable.

Why Argentina blocked Polymarket

On 11 March 2026, a Buenos Aires court (Juzgado PCyF 31) ordered ENACOM and internet providers to block access and app stores to remove the app. It is a court order, not a Polymarket decision: Argentina does not appear on Polymarket’s official list.

What is happening in Colombia, India and the Philippines

Colombia’s gaming regulator, Coljuegos, ordered internet providers to block Polymarket in September 2025. Enforcement has been uneven, but a page that still loads does not change the status: there is a regulator’s order in place.

India has blocked polymarket.com since May 2026: internet providers applied DNS blocks on 21 and 22 May under Section 69A of the IT Act, within the framework of its online money games law. In October 2026 Polymarket’s X account was also withheld in the country.

In the Philippines, the gaming regulator PAGCOR added polymarket.com to its list of sites to block on 14 May 2026, and Globe confirmed it enforces the block on its network. Polymarket’s own list does not include the Philippines, but the regulator’s order is what counts locally.

Mexico, Peru and Chile: no restriction, but no regulation

Polymarket works in all three and no block is known, but none has regulated it explicitly. Mexico treats it as a grey area outside SEGOB and CNBV oversight, Chile’s SCJ has not ruled, and Peru has made no known statement. That can change, so check your country page from time to time and keep your tax records in order, as covered in our Polymarket taxes guide.

Polymarket and VPNs: why we advise against it

Using a VPN to access Polymarket from a blocked or close-only country breaks Polymarket’s terms. Your account can be put into close-only mode, leaving your balance stuck in positions you can only exit. Where a regulator has ordered a block, you also face local legal consequences. We do not explain how to do it and we do not recommend it.

If your country is blocked, the honest option is not to trade. If it is open, start with what Polymarket is and how to deposit on Polymarket, then browse the open markets.

Frequently asked questions

Polymarket has no known restriction in any of the three. That means neither Polymarket nor a local authority has blocked it; it does not mean a specific law allows it.

Both are close-only on Polymarket’s official list, so you cannot open new positions. In the US, polymarket.us operates as a separate entity.

No. Indian authorities have blocked the site since May 2026 under Section 69A of the IT Act, and in October 2026 its X account was also withheld in the country.

Can I use Polymarket with a VPN?

We advise against it. Using a VPN to get around a block breaks Polymarket’s terms and can leave your account close-only.

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