The Czech Republic has become the latest European country to crack down on prediction market operator Polymarket, with authorities classifying the platform as an unlicensed gambling service and ordering internet providers to block access within 15 days.
The decision by the Czech Ministry of Finance places Polymarket on the country’s official List of Unauthorised Internet Games, requiring internet service providers to prevent access for users in the country.
Czech regulators argue that prediction markets function as betting products regardless of how they are presented. According to authorities, platforms such as Polymarket describe wagers as “contracts” and payouts as “returns on investment”, but the underlying activity remains gambling because users stake money on uncertain real-world outcomes.
The move expands a growing European enforcement campaign against prediction market operators. Restrictions or blocks have already been introduced in countries including Germany, Belgium, Romania, Spain and France, while several other jurisdictions have also taken action against the platform. Outside Europe, Australia, Brazil and New Zealand have similarly challenged Polymarket’s operations.
Jan Řehola, Director of the Czech Institute for Gambling Regulation, said the decision reinforces the principle that products resembling gambling should be subject to the same legal framework regardless of the terminology used. He added that consistent regulation is necessary to ensure player protection, anti-money laundering safeguards and effective market oversight.
The Czech action highlights the increasingly fragmented regulatory landscape for prediction markets worldwide.
In the United States, platforms such as Polymarket’s rival Kalshi operate under a different model, with event contracts falling under the oversight of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Meanwhile, Gibraltar recently introduced the world’s first dedicated regulatory framework specifically for prediction markets, treating them as a distinct category rather than classifying them as either gambling or financial instruments. The territory has already awarded licences to operators including ADI Predictstreet and Wire Market, creating a sharply different approach from that adopted across much of continental Europe.
The contrasting regulatory models underscore an ongoing global debate over whether prediction markets should be treated as investment products, gambling services or an entirely separate class of regulated activity.