On January 12, 2026, Ukrainian authorities made a decision to restrict access to the Polymarket platform, one of the leading international services for predictions and betting. The platform did not have a license for organizing gambling in Ukraine, which was the main reason for the blockage.
The decision to restrict access to Polymarket was made by the National Commission for State Regulation in the Field of Electronic Communications, based on Resolution No. 695. The main reasons cited include the platform’s operation outside the legal framework of Ukraine, lack of a license for gambling activities, and the use of cryptocurrencies, complicating financial control and presenting money laundering risks.
In addition to legal aspects, ethical questions were a significant factor. Polymarket allowed bets on events related to the war in Ukraine and other sensitive topics such as global disasters and political events. This caused a wave of public outrage, as such bets raise questions about the admissibility of using military actions as grounds for gambling.
Despite the platform’s popularity on an international scale, particularly due to its unusual predictions, Polymarket has repeatedly faced criticism for refusing to pay out winnings in cases of ambiguous outcomes. Regarding the financial results of the platform, it is known that the betting volumes exceeded tens of millions of dollars, but full financial disclosure is not provided.
Experts point out the impact of the blockage on other platforms operating in the field of decentralized betting and believe that it will serve as a signal for regulating similar services in the future. Moreover, this case highlights the need to improve the cryptocurrency regulation system in Ukraine.
| Key facts about Polymarket | |
| Market value in 2025 | $9 billion |
| Number of active traders in 2025 | about 300,000 |
| Number of trading addresses with losses | 70% |
| Largest group of profitable traders | from $0 to $1000 |
