Portuguese Regulator Bans Polymarket Operations

• SRIJ notified Polymarket that it must cease operations in Portugal.
• Betting on political events in the country is prohibited.

Portugal’s Gambling Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ) has ordered the blocking of the Polymarket event-betting platform. Rádio Renascença reported this, citing the regulator. 

According to the outlet, on January 16, 2026, the platform received a notice from the regulator demanding it wind down operations within 48 hours. The notice was ignored, after which SRIJ is likely to ask operators and providers to block access to the Polymarket website. 

The regulator is acting under the 2015 Online Gambling Act. Under it, only sports betting, casino games, and horse racing are permitted in the country.

SRIJ’s decision comes amid a surge of interest in Polymarket markets tied to the country’s presidential election. As of January 18, 2026, the volume of bets placed by residents exceeded €4 million, the outlet noted.

According to the official Polymarket website, total trading volume stands at $120.8 million. The first round ended on January 18, 2026, with candidate António José Seguro receiving the most votes — 31.11%. 

According to the platform, his chances of winning are 96%. At the same time, those odds jumped shortly before the first exit poll projections were released, which also raises questions about insider participation, the press noted. 

As a reminder, Polymarket has also been blocked in Ukraine. Earlier, we published lawyers’ opinions on the same issue, as well as their assessment of the situation: