Romania Blocks Polymarket for Unlicensed Election Betting
Date: 2025-11-04 Author: Gabriel Deangelo Categories: BUSINESS
The Romanian National Gambling Authority (ONJN) has blacklisted the prediction platform Polymarket, claiming that its activities are linked to third-party betting, which requires an official license. The authority believes that users of the platform are effectively placing cash bets on the outcome of events, including elections, which amounts to gambling.
ONJN President Vlad-Cristian Soare explained that the ban is not related to blockchain technology. He emphasized that any cash bets on future events, regardless of the form of payment—lei or cryptocurrency—are considered gambling and must be regulated by the state. Soare added that the use of blockchain cannot serve as a cover for circumventing the law.
The regulator noted that Polymarket positions itself as a platform for "event trading," but in fact operates on the principle of user-to-user betting. This approach, according to ONJN, could create a dangerous precedent, allowing companies to circumvent legal regulations governing gambling and financial markets.
The regulator was particularly concerned by the surge in interest in betting on local election results. According to ONJN, the market related to the Bucharest mayoral election alone raised over $16 million. The agency noted that similar political markets on Polymarket had previously attracted hundreds of millions of dollars, demonstrating the platform's scale and influence.
At the time of publication, Polymarket had not commented on the actions of the Romanian authorities.
This is not the first time the platform's activities have drawn scrutiny from government agencies. In 2022, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) fined Polymarket for similar violations and effectively banned it from operating in the US market. However, the company later acquired the licensed derivatives exchange QCX, allowing it to return to the US market.
The Romanian incident presented a new challenge for Polymarket, which positions itself as an innovative blockchain-based platform for exchanging opinions and forecasts. However, regulators believe that such services must adhere to the same standards as traditional bookmakers, regardless of the technology used.
Polymarket previously confirmed plans to launch its own POLY token and conduct an airdrop, which was intended to strengthen its position in the decentralized finance ecosystem. Now the company must decide how to continue its business development amid growing regulatory pressure.
