Romania Blacklists Polymarket for Operating Unlicensed Crypto Gambling Platform

• ONJN blacklists Polymarket for unlicensed gambling operations.
• Betting in crypto or fiat is treated equally under Romanian law.
• Polymarket faces increasing restrictions across multiple countries.
• Authorities cite a surge in election-related activity on the platform.

Romania’s National Gambling Office (ONJN) has blacklisted the prediction-market platform Polymarket for operating without a local license. The decision, announced on October 31, reflects the country’s firm stance on unregulated gambling. The ONJN classified Polymarket’s prediction contracts as counterparty bets, placing them under gambling laws regardless of whether users wager in Romanian lei or cryptocurrency.

In Romania, gambling is strictly controlled under state authority. Companies seeking to operate must obtain a valid license from the ONJN before accepting bets or offering wagering services. Officials emphasized that technology is not exempt from compliance. They reaffirmed that blockchain-based prediction markets fall under the same legal framework as traditional betting systems.

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Polymarket Faces Global Crackdown

Polymarket’s inclusion in Romania’s blacklist adds to a growing list of regulatory hurdles worldwide. Earlier this year, Belgian authorities declared the platform illegal, while French regulators instructed it to block local users. The company previously exited the United States after paying a $1.4 million fine to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2022.

Source: Canva

Despite these challenges, Polymarket is one of the biggest decentralized prediction exchanges, offering users the opportunity to place bets on various outcomes in the real world, ranging from politics, sports, to economic events. Nonetheless, the platform continues to attract significant global attention, despite the growing regulation of blockchain betting platforms.

Surge in election activity triggers ONJN action

The Romanian government attributed its actions to the significant local activity exhibited by Polymarket during the country’s national election in May. Based on data from ONJN, local bettors in the country placed over $600 million in bets on the outcome of the country’s president, in addition to $15 million on local elections in Bucharest.

ONJN announced the joint plan to distribute the revised blacklist to internet service providers to ensure the platform was blocked across the country. On the other hand, the marketing team at Polymarket confirmed their airdrop plan involving tokens and users, which was apparently inspired by the success of Hyperliquid. The development highlights the platform’s continued growth efforts despite intensifying international regulatory pressure.

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