Polymarket's growing reputation for accurately forecasting political, economic and sporting events has not slowed regulatory action. Between 10 and 14 July 2026, Italy and the Czech Republic introduced new measures restricting access to the prediction market platform, arguing that it offers gambling products without holding the national licenses required under their respective gaming laws. The two cases illustrate a broader regulatory trend in which governments increasingly classify prediction markets as gambling rather than financial products.
In the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Finance, led by Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura, officially added Polymarket to the country's Register of Unauthorized Internet Gambling Operators under the Gambling Act No. 186/2016 Coll. The decision, announced on 14 July, requires internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to the platform within 15 days. Czech authorities argue that Polymarket enables users to stake real money on future events without a Czech gambling licence, violating national rules on consumer protection, anti-money laundering (AML), regulatory oversight and responsible gambling.
In Italy, the Customs and Monopolies Agency (Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli – ADM), directed by Roberto Alesse, ordered a new blocking action against Polymarket on 10 July by placing the platform back on the country's blacklist of unauthorized gambling websites. The measure is based on Legislative Decree No. 41/2024, which reserves the offering of real-money gambling services to operators holding an Italian concession issued by ADM. According to the regulator, Polymarket's prediction contracts fall within Italy's legal definition of gambling services. The case has also been referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office in Rome to assess whether further legal action should be pursued.
Roberto Alesse
Although the Czech Republic and Italy rely on different legal frameworks, both regulators reached the same conclusion: prediction markets involving real-money stakes must comply with the same licensing, regulatory, AML and consumer protection requirements as licensed gambling operators. The latest actions reinforce a growing European trend toward tighter oversight of unlicensed prediction market platforms operating across national borders.
