TLDR Argentina has banned Polymarket nationwide after authorities found it was operating without legal authorization Buenos Aires City Lottery (LOTBA) filed the complaint that triggered a judicial order to block the platform A judge ordered the blocking of Polymarket’s website and apps across the entire country Regulators flagged concerns over missing age and identity verification and the use of crypto payments Argentina is now the first country in Latin America to restrict a prediction market platform
Argentina has banned the crypto-based prediction market platform Polymarket from operating anywhere in the country. The decision came after regulators found the platform was running without the proper legal authorization.
The Buenos Aires City Lottery, known as LOTBA, filed the initial complaint that set the process in motion. Its internal teams first flagged the platform’s operations, which then led to a formal investigation.
Judge Susana Parada, who heads the PCyF No. 31 court, issued a judicial order to block Polymarket throughout Argentina. The order covers both the website and all applications tied to the platform.
The investigation was carried out by LOTBA’s technical team alongside the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Gambling, known as FEJA. Prosecutor Juan Rozas led the effort on behalf of FEJA.
LOTBA Director Ezequiel Domínguez said the process started with the organization’s own detection systems. He stated that the initial identification by their technical teams led to the formal investigation and ultimately the court’s decision.
The move makes Argentina the first country in Latin America to impose a ban on a prediction market platform. No other nation in the region has taken similar action against this type of service.
Regulators Flag Crypto Payments and Missing Verification
The Argentine authorities raised several concerns about how Polymarket operates. One major issue was the lack of proper age verification checks for