Polymarket Blocked in Ireland as European Pressure Mounts

Polymarket blocked access from Ireland. The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, or GRAI, ordered the prediction market platform to geoblock consumers there. Polymarket complied. It added Ireland to its list of restricted jurisdictions.

That move follows a similar action by France's gambling authority. French regulators blocked Polymarket over consumer safety concerns and the platform's failure to follow local gambling laws. Both countries now sit alongside Germany, Italy, and Spain in restricting access.

Ireland is working to regulate prediction market platforms. Under new rules that take effect July 1, 2026, any remote betting service operator — including prediction markets — must hold a relevant license from the GRAI. The regulator confirmed it has multiple live investigations into black market gambling operations.

"The GRAI has several live investigations open in relation to black market gambling, with a view to potential prosecutions in due course," a spokesperson told media. The regulator didn't name Polymarket directly. But the Irish Examiner reported the company was the subject of the action.

"Following intervention by the GRAI, a major prediction market has geoblocked its service, which means that it has voluntarily restricted access to its platform from Ireland," the spokesperson added.

The Dutch Gambling Regulator weighed in too. It argued Polymarket constitutes a form of gambling and falls under Dutch law. European jurisdictions aren't the only ones cracking down. In the United States, attorneys general and judges in Kentucky and Michigan have sided against the platform.

Polymarket now faces a fractured European market. The platform's compliance with each regulator's request shows it's willing to pull back rather than fight every legal battle. Whether it seeks licenses where possible or exits entirely remains unclear.