The Czech Ministry of Finance has added the domain of prediction market platform Polymarket to its list of unauthorized internet games, paving the way for access restrictions within the country. The move, published on July 13 by the ministry's gambling regulation department, targets websites that operate without complying with Czech gambling laws.
Under Czech gambling legislation, internet service providers (ISPs) must block access to Polymarket within 15 days of the list's publication. The Institute for the Regulation of Gambling, the country's gambling regulator, issued a statement on July 15 detailing the action.
Regulatory rationale
Institute director Jan Řehola clarified that the measure is not about banning innovation but ensuring equal rules for all operators offering services involving monetary stakes. "This is not a prohibition of innovation," he said, emphasizing that the same rules apply to every business providing gambling-like services.
Polymarket faces growing regulatory scrutiny across Europe. According to the Institute, the platform is already restricted or blocked in Germany, Belgium, Romania, Switzerland, Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Spain, and Ukraine. Brazil also took similar action this year.
Wider European crackdown
Gambling regulators in the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom have also issued measures or warnings against prediction markets, including Polymarket, the Institute noted. The Czech Republic's latest step adds to the mounting pressure on the platform in the European region.
The Czech action reflects a broader trend of authorities treating prediction markets as unlicensed gambling services, requiring operators to obtain proper licenses or face access blocks.