Romania Declares Polymarket a Gambling Platform — Not Innovation
Authorities in Romania are cracking down on Polymarket, ruling that its election-focused crypto wagering is no different from traditional gambling — just dressed in new technology.
The country’s National Office for Gambling (ONJN) said Polymarket operated without a license while hosting massive betting activity during Romania’s presidential and local elections. Regulators claim the platform’s peer-to-peer event wagers classify as “counterpart betting”, which is fully subject to national gambling laws.
ONJN President Vlad-Cristian Soare dismissed the idea that crypto betting falls outside legal boundaries:
“This is not about technology — it’s about the law.
If you bet money, crypto or lei, it’s gambling.”
As a result, Romanian internet providers are now required to block access to the platform nationwide.
Compliance Failures Put Polymarket Under Fire
Regulators accused Polymarket of operating without essential safeguards such as:
- Anti-money laundering oversight
- Consumer risk protections
- Fiscal reporting requirements
Despite branding itself an “event trading” protocol, officials said its business model — users placing money on uncertain outcomes while the operator takes a commission — matches every legal definition of gambling.
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Blacklist Spreads Globally as Scrutiny Intensifies
Romania isn’t alone. The crackdown mirrors actions by authorities around the world.
Polymarket has already been:
- Fined by the CFTC in 2022 and forced to block U.S. trading
- Restricted in Belgium, France, Poland, Singapore, and Thailand
Yet investor demand for political and real-world outcome betting remains strong.
Polymarket recently secured $2 billion in funding from Intercontinental Exchange — the company behind the New York Stock Exchange — signaling major institutional confidence despite regulatory pushback.
Polymarket Eyes U.S. Relaunch — Betting Isn’t Over
With a CFTC no-action letter clearing a path forward, Polymarket plans a U.S. comeback as early as November — but initially only for sports markets, not politics.
Crypto analysts say this is just the beginning of a broader battle over how governments classify these new markets:
Are they financial prediction tools —
or digital casinos with a political twist?
🎯 Bottom Line
The fight over Polymarket is now a global regulatory stress test.
Governments argue they’re protecting consumers.
Crypto innovators argue they’re powering the future of information markets.
One thing is certain:
The world is betting — whether regulators like it or not.
