Romania Prohibits Polymarket: Authorities Enforce Restrictions on Cryptocurrency Betting

Romania has formally placed Polymarket, a prominent blockchain-powered prediction market, on its blacklist for providing unauthorized gambling services during the nation’s presidential and municipal elections. The National Office for Gambling (ONJN) issued the prohibition on Thursday, referencing breaches of national gambling regulations that mandate operators to secure official licenses, according to a report by

. The authority stressed that Polymarket’s system—which enables individuals to bet on unpredictable outcomes—qualifies as “counterparty betting,” a gambling category that must be subject to regulation, as stated by .

This ruling comes after a notable rise in crypto-fueled betting on the platform, with transaction volumes surpassing $600 million during Romania’s May elections, Cointelegraph reported. ONJN President Vlad-Cristian Soare clarified that the restriction is “a matter of law, not technology,” emphasizing that wagers made in either digital currencies or the Romanian leu are still governed by gambling statutes, according to

. Romanian ISPs are now obligated to restrict access to Polymarket, DL News added.

The prohibition of Polymarket in Romania reflects a broader international effort to limit the platform. Authorities in the United States, France, Belgium, Poland, Singapore, and Thailand have also imposed restrictions on Polymarket, citing its operation without proper gambling licenses, as noted by Cointelegraph. In the U.S., the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) fined the platform $1.4 million in 2022 and subsequently barred American users, DL News reported. Despite these regulatory hurdles, Polymarket attracted a $2 billion investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, in July 2025, according to the

.

This funding, disclosed in ICE’s third-quarter 2025 financial results, is expected to support Polymarket’s regulated re-entry into the U.S. market. The company intends to resume limited trading for U.S. customers by late November 2025, initially concentrating on sports betting, Cointelegraph reported. This development follows a no-action letter from the CFTC to QCX, a derivatives platform acquired by Polymarket, paving the way for regulatory compliance in the U.S., as per the Economic Times.

Romania’s move highlights the increasing attention regulators are giving to decentralized platforms that use blockchain technology to bypass conventional oversight. ONJN cautioned that permitting unlicensed “counterparty betting” could set a precedent for operators to disguise gambling as trading, thereby sidestepping strict controls, Yahoo Finance reported. The agency also pointed out concerns about potential money laundering and insufficient player safeguards on platforms like Polymarket, DL News noted.

As the prediction market sector develops, the conflict between regulatory requirements and technological innovation remains pronounced. While Polymarket’s supporters consider it a valid financial instrument, regulators around the globe maintain that gambling laws are applicable regardless of the underlying technology, according to

.