Indonesia blocks Polymarket over gambling as India also cuts access
Indonesia has blocked crypto-native prediction market Polymarket over online gambling concerns, its communications and digital ministry announced Monday, following bets placed on the platform related to the president's exit. The action comes as India has also reportedly cut off access to Polymarket, according to a Cube Exchange briefing published Friday, though that report provided no details on method, timing, or stated rationale. The same briefing noted NEAR's June upgrade is attracting real buying interest, Bitcoin volatility has slumped, and Ark has been accumulating Bullish. The Indonesian block adds to a tightening Asian regulatory perimeter around Polymarket.
Polymarket must now defend against simultaneous blocking in Indonesia and India while managing South Korea's active gambling probe. Any adverse ruling in Seoul or Jakarta would arm Japanese FSA regulators with a ready enforcement template, collapsing Polymarket's 2030 Japan approval target before lobbying begins in earnest.
Brings to three the number of Asian jurisdictions now actively blocking or investigating Polymarket this quarter, after parallel actions in India and South Korea, as the platform's 2030 Japan FSA approval push faces hardened regional enforcement templates.