Polymarket has been blocked in Portugal following an order from the Gaming Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ), after the blockchain-based prediction market recorded tens of millions of euros in wagers linked to the country’s recent presidential election.
The regulator confirmed that Polymarket was operating illegally, as Portuguese law prohibits betting on political events.
Under the country’s online gambling framework, only licensed operators are permitted to offer sports betting, casino games and horse racing. Political betting, whether domestic or international, is explicitly banned.
According to data reported by local media, betting activity on the main presidential market exceeded €103m, with additional markets attracting close to €10m.
In the final hours before results were announced, odds shifted sharply in favour of one candidate, drawing further attention to the scale and visibility of the market.
Following the regulator’s intervention, telecommunications providers were instructed to block access to the platform. Vodafone Portugal confirmed it had restricted access “in compliance with an order issued by the SRIJ”.
Users attempting to access the site from Portugal now receive a standard access denial message.
In a statement, the regulator said the platform was “not authorised to offer betting in Portugal, as national law prohibits betting operations regarding political events, be they domestic or international”.
Polymarket was given 48 hours to cease operations in the country.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Colombia has examined Polymarket’s influence on political forecasting, while in the United States, Nevada authorities have filed a civil enforcement action against the platform over unlicensed activity.
Portugal generated €297.1m in iGaming revenue in Q3
