Romania Restricts Polymarket: Legal Regulations Clash with Blockchain in Gambling Discussion

Romania's National Office for Gambling (ONJN) has added Polymarket, a prominent blockchain-based prediction market, to its blacklist, citing accusations of running an unauthorized gambling service as election-related bets soared past $600 million, according to a

. The regulator identified the platform's operations as "counterpart betting," a category under Romanian regulations that demands official licensing, regardless of whether wagers are made in fiat or digital currencies, as a explained. The announcement, made on October 30, requires internet service providers to restrict access to Polymarket, representing the latest move in a worldwide effort to limit the platform, as Cointelegraph also reported.

Vlad-Cristian Soare, president of the ONJN, clarified that the action was "about legal compliance, not technology," emphasizing that betting on unpredictable results—whether via conventional or blockchain platforms—qualifies as gambling and must adhere to regulatory rules, as noted by Yahoo Finance. The authority criticized Polymarket for failing to provide financial reports, lacking anti-money laundering (AML) protocols, and not implementing player safety measures, as previous reports have pointed out. During Romania’s presidential and local elections in May 2025, Polymarket’s trading volumes exceeded $600 million and $15 million, respectively, which triggered regulatory intervention, according to a

.

This prohibition is consistent with actions taken in the U.S., France, Belgium, Poland, Singapore, and Thailand, where authorities have also blocked Polymarket for breaching gambling regulations, as noted in a

. In 2022, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) imposed a $1.4 million penalty on Polymarket for running an unregistered derivatives market, compelling it to restrict access for U.S. users, as earlier reports indicated. Despite these obstacles, Polymarket has continued to grow, reportedly attracting a $2 billion investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, in late 2025, according to Cointelegraph.

Polymarket is currently preparing to re-enter the U.S. market, focusing on sports betting and utilizing a recent CFTC no-action letter obtained through its acquisition of a regulated derivatives exchange, as reported by Markets.com. The company intends to restart limited trading for American users by the end of November, positioning itself as a blockchain-centric alternative to conventional prediction markets, previous coverage stated. Nonetheless, regulatory ambiguity remains, especially in Europe, where officials argue that platforms like Polymarket take advantage of unclear boundaries between gambling and financial services, as highlighted by Coinfomania.

The Romanian action highlights the ongoing conflict between decentralized finance advancements and current regulatory systems. Although Polymarket promotes itself as an "event trading" service, regulators argue that its model—users betting on outcomes and paying commissions—fits the legal criteria for gambling, as Yahoo Finance pointed out. ONJN cautioned that permitting unlicensed platforms to operate under the label of "event trading" could set a "dangerous precedent," weakening consumer protections and financial oversight, Cointelegraph reported.

As Polymarket faces a patchwork of international regulations, its success will depend on how well it can reconcile compliance with innovation. For now, its activities remain halted in Romania, with comparable restrictions enforced throughout much of Europe, according to Markets.com.