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Italy places Polymarket on gambling blacklist

Polymarket has a growing presence in Italian football, with the operator holding partnerships with Lazio and Serie A, despite concerns raised by politicians.

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Polymarket Banned in ITaly
Key Points
Polymarket has been added to the ADM’s list of blocked gambling operators in Italy
Italian ISPs must block the website, redirecting users to a page stating the domain lacks gambling authorisation

Local Italian media have reported that Polymarket has been added to the ADM’s list of blocked gambling operators.

The blacklist includes websites that Italian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are required to block. Users attempting to access these websites are redirected to a page stating that the domain does not have the necessary authorisations to offer gambling services in Italy.

Previously, Polymarket was accessible in Italy, but users were unable to place trades or bets on the platform. The restriction was enforced through operators IP geolocation, which could technically be bypassed using a VPN.

From a players perspective, ISP website blocking measures can also sometimes be bypassed through tools such as VPNs. However, this practice is prohibited under Polymarket’s terms of use and could result in account restrictions.

The ADM’s decision creates an interesting situation due to Polymarket’s growing presence in Italian football.  Since 18 April 2026, Polymarket has been the main shirt sponsor of Lazio.

Its branding appears on the front of the team’s jersey under a multi-year agreement expected to run until at least summer 2028. According to industry reports, the sponsorship deal is worth around €22 million.

In May, Democratic Party MPs submitted questions in Italy’s Chamber of Deputies over the club’s agreement with Polymarket, asking ministers to assess whether the deal is compatible with national gambling, advertising and consumer protection rules.

Polymarket is also the exclusive prediction market partner of Serie A, following a multi-year agreement reached between the operator and the football league on 14 May.

Good to know

Last month, Polymarket secured German Bundesliga branding rights for US prediction markets, although access to official league data still requires a separate agreement with Sportradar

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