Indonesia Blocks Access to Polymarket: What Is It?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry has blocked access to Polymarket, a website allegedly conducting online gambling under the guise of a prediction market.

"The government will not allow any form of online gambling in Indonesia," Alexander Sabar, the ministry’s director general of digital space supervision, told reporters on Friday, May 22, 2026.

Polymarket, he said, involves activities like betting and speculation on uncertain events, thus violating Indonesian law.

A prediction market is a platform that allows users to trade contracts based on the outcome of future events such as elections, economic trends or sporting events. It typically involves the use of blockchain technology or crypto assets.

In this case, Polymarket is a prediction market platform that, in practice, facilitates monetary betting on outcomes or events, and therefore remains categorized as online gambling.

In response, Indonesia has blocked the access to the platform, including tracing all social media accounts affiliated with Polymarket, to ensure comprehensive access across various platforms.

The move aims to protect the public, especially younger digital users.

In addition to Polymarket, the ministry said it would also block access to similar services suspected of facilitating prediction market practices.

The decision to block Polymarket in Indonesia aligns with measures taken in several other jurisdictions worldwide.

According to Alexander, several countries have also restricted access to Polymarket and similar prediction market platforms because they are considered comparable to online gambling services.

Singapore, Brazil, and India have officially blocked Polymarket, while Taiwan, Thailand, China, and Japan have imposed restrictions in accordance with their respective national laws.

The ministry urged the public not to access or participate in speculative digital betting activities, including those involving crypto assets, as they may lead to financial losses and violate Indonesian regulations.

The government will continue coordinating with law enforcement authorities and other stakeholders while monitoring digital platforms to ensure that Indonesia’s digital ecosystem remains safe, healthy, and productive.

Read: Nearly 200,000 Indonesian Children Exposed to Online Gambling

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