Romania's gambling regulator bans Polymarket

Polymarket/Polymarket exchange

Romania's National Gambling Office (ONJN) put Polymarket on its unlicensed operators blacklist, ruling that the prediction market takes user-to-user bets without a licence. Trading volume on Romania's 2025 presidential election exceeded $600 million; Belgium, France, and Poland had already blocked the platform.

• ONJN determined Polymarket organizes bets between participants rather than intermediating investments, requiring a gambling licence.
• Over $600M traded on the presidential election, over $15M on Bucharest local elections—demonstrating significant user activity.
• Platform remains blocked across multiple EU countries and the US, with Romania as the latest regulatory enforcement.