Czech Republic Blocks Polymarket Under Gambling Rules

The Ministry of Finance added polymarket.com to its List of Unauthorised Internet Games on July 13. The domain appears under Section 84a(2)(a) of the Czech Gambling Act.

Being added to the register triggers an existing enforcement procedure. ISPs must block listed domains once the required period has passed. The same mechanism is used against other gambling services that operate in the country without local authorization.

Contracts Do Not Change the Czech Classification

Polymarket presents its markets as event contracts rather than conventional sportsbook bets. Prices move according to the probability users assign to a future outcome.

Czech authorities are looking at the transaction itself. A user puts money into a position linked to an event that has not happened yet. When the market settles, that position can gain or lose value. Authorities consider that enough to bring the activity within gambling rules when the service is offered without the required licence.

Jan Řehola, Director of the Czech Institute for Gambling Regulation, backed the decision. He said changing betting terminology should not change the rules covering player protection, anti-money laundering measures and supervision.

France and Spain Have Restricted the Platforms Too

France ordered internet providers to block Polymarket. Spain has also moved against Polymarket and Kalshi. Both countries used gambling rules already in place. Neither introduced a separate legal category for prediction markets before taking action.

Gibraltar chose another route in July. Its Prediction Market Regulations 2026 set out a licensing system specifically for prediction-market operators.

The Czech Republic has not followed that model. Polymarket was instead added to the same register used for other unauthorized gambling websites. For the platform, the consequence is straightforward: without Czech authorization, its domain is subject to ISP blocking.